This paper provides a new teaching design that addresses difficulties in listening and speaking aspects experienced by Taiwanese adults when learning English and addresses the special needs of this learning group. The design was developed to solve these learning difficulties through integration of certain aspects of three existing teaching…

Discusses the importance of linguistic accuracy in proficiency-orientated foreign language programs, focusing on the experiences of college students in a summer intensive Chinese program. Linguistic inaccuracy is often the result of teachers focusing on form and meaning at the same time, fossilization, overuse of communicative strategies, lack of…

Believes current audiolingual approach to foreign language teaching lacks opportunities for spontaneous speech. Author shows why this is and offers suggestions such as oral exercises and games to compensate. (Author/BK)

Describes experimental technique for improving relationship between the structural and functional components of language teaching using dialoguing as an in-class game. (BK)

The importance of the distinction between form and function in language use, the appropriateness of language to varying situations, the elements of discourse structure, and the paralinguistic features of communication are discussed. Classroom activities employing these principles to develop communicative competence are included. (PMJ)

A cloze-type procedure can be used effectively to teach interpreters how to anticipate what the speaker will say, inferring communicative intention. The exercise uses a text from which words are deleted, not randomly as in the true cloze procedure, but in significant locations or contexts. The words or groups of words suppressed are progressively…

Discusses the changes in foreign language instructional strategies regarding error avoidance and correction that have emerged from the emphasis on communicative competence. Considering this trend away from audiolingualism and consistent oral accuracy, urges teachers to reevaluate procedures for conducting class activities and correcting students'…

Guidelines for a workshop to make teachers aware of the need to set standards for oral proficiency in the classroom are presented. Oral communication skills must be considered separately from other forms of class participation to facilitate a more objective evaluation. (Author/LMO)

This package of information from a teacher training workshop is designed to be used by English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers working with literacy students. Training objectives are for participants to identify the following: characteristics of adult ESL learners, the methods most effective in adult ESL literacy instruction, and strategies…

This book aims to provide practical, research-informed answers to the questions most frequently asked by teachers of second language learners. Every question targets one of the key instructional issues teachers must address to ensure success for their second language students. Included among the questions are: How do I assess a student's English?…

This hour-long videotape captures the events of "First and Second Language Literacy: From Research to Practice," a literacy teleconference hosted by Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). Regional and national educators explore research-based effective practices for teaching and reading to diverse student populations.…

Individualized reading and writing tasks are suggested for use in a functional approach to teaching English as a second language. The tasks, each of which has a product, an audience, a function, and a linguistic focus, are based on students' communicative needs in various situations. Individualization promotes language learning. (PMJ)

Describes the teaching approach and materials in "Origins," a book about word origins and how to teach them to elementary students. Notes that this book includes step-by-step activities, a brief history of the English language, relevant poetry examples, and several writing ideas. (MM)

Describes several activities that can be used to fill short periods of class time to give language students extra language practice. Activities include generating word lists, sentences, questions, clue-words, 20 questions, hangman. All require no advance preparation. (BK)

The guide is one section of a resource kit designed to assist Peace Corps language instruction coordinators in countries around the world in understanding the principles underlying second language learning and teaching and in organizing instructional programs. This section outlines basic principles of second language learning and teaching. An…