The goal of the nine family and caregiver activity sheets is to provide families and caregivers with simple, fun activities they can use with their children to strengthen their language. The activities were designed using recommendations from the 2014 What Works Clearinghouse practice guide, "Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English…

This facilitator's guide is designed to assist professional learning communities (PLCs) in applying evidence-based strategies to help K-8 English learners acquire the language and literacy skills needed to succeed academically. Through this collaborative learning experience, educators will expand their knowledge base as they read, discuss, share,…

These handouts, which are meant to accompany the facilitator's guide, are designed to assist professional learning communities (PLCs) in applying evidence-based strategies to help K-8 English learners acquire the language and literacy skills needed to succeed academically. The facilitator's guide uses a five-step process for collaborative…

A modified version of the traditional dictation exercise is recommended in order to answer two unmet needs which caused such exercises to fall into disfavor: the systematic teaching of specific points, and the use of authentic linguistic samples. (JB)

The introduction to discourse analysis is intended specifically to inform second language teachers about aspects of discourse analysis that can be helpful in instruction. It presents the principles seen as relevant to the language teaching context and illustrates them with real spoken and written language data. The first chapter gives a historical…

This publication will provide secondary level students with a basic understanding of the development and structure of Chinese (guo yu) language characters. The authors believe that demystifying the language helps break many cultural barriers. The written language is a good place to begin because its pictographic nature is appealing and inspires…

This handbook offers a detailed description of the structure and rhetorical effects observed in various genres of Japanese discourse. Drawing on Japanese "bunshooron" and incorporating results of Western discourse studies, the book covers principles of overall rhetorical organization, including"ki-shoo-ten-ketsu," topic structure, "danraku," and…

Suggests that for improving syntactic fluency and the overall quality of compositions, exercises should be based on generative rhetoric. These exercises in which students supply the content of the sentence from a list of suggested structures are superior to sentence-combining exercises that provide the student with all the information. (PMJ)

This book remains a comprehensive, myth-debunking examination of how L1 features (orthographic system, phonology, morphology) can influence English L2 reading at the "bottom" of the reading process. It provides a thorough but very accessible linguistic/psycholinguistic examination of the lowest levels of the reading process. It is both theoretical…

Provides several suggestions for introducing a note of humor into the French classroom while at the same time providing writing practice. Suggestions are based on primary source materials, such as newspaper ads, advice columns, graffiti, popular literature, crossword puzzles, etc. (AM)

Describes experiments in grades 8 and 9 of university-preparatory schools, using television programs to stimulate students to write English texts. Writing a review-story of the program was assigned as homework, and a corresponding class presentation was required. Various aspects of television in instruction are discussed. (IFS/WGA)

Discusses techniques that facilitate student learning, conserve instructor time, provide a rationale for course and materials design, and increase inter-rater reliability. Includes suggestions for providing for student differences, determining what to teach and when, and saving time in grading compositions. (PMJ)

This report presents ideas on the use of poetry in teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language. Chapter 1 describes beliefs about language and language learning, and offers a theoretical justification for including the reading and writing of poetry in the language classroom. Chapter 2 is a collection of poetry activities that have been…

Spoken and written transmission in learning English as a second language is discussed at the levels of pronunciation and spelling, with reference to the East African learner. Fundamental physical differences between communication in speech and writing that impose different constraints upon the receiver are addressed. (SW)

The following error made by Sudanese students in their written English is discussed: giving the direct translation of relative pronoun plus personal pronoun from the Arabic pattern instead of the relative pronoun. The structure of the relative clause in English and Arabic is also compared. (SW)