Reflecting simply put is the act of thinking about something while seeking a deeper level of understanding. Reflective practice is applying this thinking systematically by making questions, collecting data, and analysing it in order, not to prove something, but to comprehend and act upon reality. It is also an ongoing process that involves…

This paper describes diverse language learners' use of dialogue journaling in an elementary school setting. The author, a teacher researcher, conducted a qualitative research study with eight participants, ranging from fourth to sixth grade; all were learners adding English to their language repertoire. Through an in-depth analysis of student…

English-language learners, according to research, learn best through instruction that draws upon their strength in their first language. It is unlikely that any teacher would have knowledge of even a fraction of the languages that are spoken by students in American classrooms, particularly since some large school districts report as many as a…

This paper investigates the development of social presence in communities of language teachers at two universities. Specifically, our research sheds light on how social presence is characterized according to the technological tools used to link the community of language teachers. Over the period of a 14 week semester, nine electronic journal…

This article presents outdoor inquiry activities to help English Language Learner (ELL) students learn life science concepts. As a public high school ELL science teacher, the author of this article use these place-based and scaffolded inquiry activities outside to reinforce concepts she teaches in the classroom all year long. Through inductive…

This presentation describes how to use reading to improve second language acquisition. Part 1, "Building Awareness of Reading Habits and Attitudes," has students report their habits and attitudes about reading in English and their native language and recognize the importance of reading for improving English skills. Part 2, "Choosing a Book," has…

Four activities for the French language classroom are described, including a comprehension game based on the cow's digestive system, a group journal exercise using current events, an economics vocabulary development activity, and a grammar exercise focusing on the use of determiners in news articles. (MSE)

This guide for volunteer teachers of English as a Second Language to Spanish speakers in a home-based program outlines a suggested format for class time and activities. The guide describes how teachers can organize their class periods to promote learner-centeredness and participation in the English learning process. The structure, designed to help…

The report, based on a study of journal entries written by English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students in San Diego Community Colleges (California), examines the value of journal writing for ESL learning and acculturation and offers classroom techniques for its use. An introductory section describes the study and its outcomes. Chapter 1 looks at…

Based on a series of seven summer workshops on creative writing and pedagogy, this book offers an "inside-out" approach to teaching and writing, an approach that teachers can use for personal growth and self-enrichment as well as for application and inspiration in their public school classrooms. Essays in the book are: (1) "'The Writing's for Us':…

This unit was created and first taught by the author in the children's demonstration class that was part of the 1995 Teacher Educator Partnership Institute sponsored by the National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center (NFLRC) at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. The mission of the NFLRC is to improve student learning of foreign languages in…