The instructional programs educators design to help English Learner (EL) students work toward English proficiency look different in schools across the United States. This is due in part to the variety of approaches K-12 educators take to important questions such as: Should the program foster bilingualism or focus solely on English? Should ELs…

The National Study of English Learners and Digital Learning Resources conducted by the U.S. Department of Education, Policy and Program Studies Service, on behalf of the Office of English Language Acquisition and the Office of Educational Technology provided the first national data on how educators across the country are using educational…

Commissioner's Rules Concerning the State Plan for Educating English Language Learners (ELLs) states that all school districts that are required to provide bilingual education and/or English as a second language (ESL) programs establish and operate a Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC). The LPACs are charged with reviewing all…

Students continually ask, "Does this count?" "Is this on the test?" They want to know how they'll be evaluated. Discover how to answer these questions in ways that shape student learning and keep teaching focused on what really matters. Written by language expert Paul Sandrock, this superb manual clarifies precisely what…

This document offers school design guidance for accommodating the needs for teaching modern foreign languages (MFLs) in secondary education. Section 1 outlines the range of spaces in a typical MFL suite and describes how to calculate the number of timetabled spaces required. It includes guidance on planning the suite and what to consider if there…

Being able to use other languages is an essential tool for the modern world. While the image of the world as "a global village" is indeed popular, it does not always correspond to reality. A village would tend to be relatively homogeneous in terms of culture and language. Surely, this monocultural, monolingual picture does not reflect the…

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…

Four steps to providing foreign language training in the workplace are (1) select and group trainees based on an audit of need and skill requirements; (2) choose training modes (intensive, "drip-feed," one-to-one, group, open learning, in plant, in school); (3) select a provider; and (4) manage recruitment, start-up, monitoring, and evaluation.…

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 addresses design and development of language curricula. An introductory…

In addition to presenting detailed guidelines for foreign language curriculum development in Georgia public schools, this guide includes illustrations of a variety of classroom approaches to meeting course goals. The overall rationale for the guide is to bring programs and curricula at all levels in line with both societal needs for…

A conference of 15 experts in English as a second language (ESL) from Indochinese programs across the country arrived at a consensus regarding the characteristics of an effective ESL program. Prior to ESL instruction, student needs must be addressed, including basic living needs, orientation in the native language, and seeking the collaboration of…

Discusses the objectives of Latin programs and describes an ideal Latin curriculum based on these objectives which would begin in grade four or five and continue through grade 12. Concludes with some basic needs and objectives of Latin teachers. (EKN)

Describes intensive German courses at North Texas State University and gives suggestions for publicity, screening, testing, transfer to traditional course sequence, providing special help, and maintaining a positive student attitude. Positive results strengthen belief that an effective intensive program corresponding to requirements and abilities…

Describes philosophy of Paulo Freire as foundation for an existential/humanistic curriculum and explores practical and theoretical implications of this curriculum for second language teaching. Expands curriculum design principles into sample second language curriculum design principles. (Author/BK)

Some issues in the design of classroom research on second language teaching are discussed, with the intention of helping the researcher avoid conceptual pitfalls that may cripple the study later in the process. This begins with an examination of concerns in sampling, including definition of a population to be studied, alternative sampling…