For linguistically diverse communities, researchers have long questioned assessment approaches that disregard learners' multilingualism. Our study offers potential approaches that center contextualized, multilingual knowledges and skills within classroom-based language assessments with one teacher and his English foreign language courses for…

Purpose: In this clinical focus article, the authors argue for robust vocabulary instruction with emergent bilingual learners both in inclusive classroom settings and in clinical settings for emergent bilinguals with language and literacy disorders. Robust vocabulary instruction focuses on high-utility academic words that carry abstract meanings…

An Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) may be evaluated either during the interview procedure (direct-method) or from a tape-made oral interaction (semi-direct method). Such variety in methods of assessment can influence test takers' scores extensively. However, it is not conclusive whether such differences are due to test format or something else.…

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…

Many ELT examinations have gone online in the last few years and a large number of educational institutions have also started considering the possibility of implementing their own tests. This paper deals with the training of a group of 24 ELT teachers in the Region of Valencia (Spain). In 2007, the Ministry of Education provided funds to determine…

Promotes student-as-teacher strategies in general, while extending their definition to include the peer teaching arrangement usually referred to as "group study." Cloze passages and rehearsed dictee are examined as well as the theoretical suggestion that these exercises are especially apt to encourage a variety of learning styles. (six references)…

A discussion of the work of Lev Vygotsky in the field of cognitive development focuses on how the Vygotskian concepts of internalization and mediated knowledge are crucial to the development of both learner and teacher autonomy in second language instruction. Focus is on theory, with empirical studies used as illustration. First, the Vygotskian…

The project reported here aimed at serving the interests of increased European understanding, cooperation, and mobility by improving and broadening the learning of modern languages, making appropriate provision for all sections of the population. This report provides recommendations for the implementation of a European framework within which…

Offering boys greater choice over what they learn may help address their underachievement in modern languages. However, they may not profit from this unless they are given explicit guidelines regarding how to go about their learning. The article discusses the effects of social and educational contexts, student motivation, learning strategies,…

Reviews principles for hardware selection, and forecasts the state of technology in terms of fidelity, feedback, and open architecture in language training. (six references) (GLR)

Suggests that, to understand the relationship between grammatical competence and actual communicative language use, a model is needed of classroom language processing that considers learners' own connections between meaning and form as a major factor in language use and language acquisition. (nine references) (GLR)

Literature is important in teaching English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL), because it motivates students, provides language models, offers ways to think creatively, provides opportunities for interaction, and enhances reading development. Criteria for selecting literature include student interest, linguistic accessibility, quality language, cultural…

The author addresses mathematics instruction in students' second language. Theories on the interaction of language and cognitive development, and language and mathematical thinking, as well as studies conducted with bilingual students, are presented along with their implications for teaching, texts, and curriculum development. These ideas are…

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) National Professional Development Program helped language teachers familiarize themselves with the Languages Profile and collect and annotate work samples using the Profile. Their experiences become the basis for disseminating information among ACT language teachers. The paper presents recurrent issues raised…

Presents information on early language learning in Germany, describing reasons why German students need to start learning other languages early in their education, noting appropriate conditions for early language programs, and presenting goals for early foreign-language learning generated by Germany's Children Learn European Languages Association.…