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…

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.…

The following articles on second language learning are collected here: (1) "Second-Language Study: Historical Background and Current Status" by Kenneth D. Chastain; (2) "The Value of Second-Language Learning" by Gilbert A. Jarvis; (3) "Psychology and Linguistics as Bases for Language Pedagogy" by Wilga M. Rivers; (4) "Differentiation of Language…

Discusses multiple challenges faced by community-based English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and adult-literacy programs, explaining how to integrate ESL instruction into existing literacy programs, respond to diverse student needs, create community partnerships to support and fund the ESL program, contribute back to the community, and build capacity…

It seems irrefutable that the world is progressing in concert with computer science. Educational applications and projects for first and second language acquisition have not been left behind. However, currently it seems that the reputation of completely computer-based language learning courses has taken a nosedive, and, consequently there has been…

Student adaptation involved in moving from an elementary school in English Canada to a French school in Europe was investigated. Information was gathered from 35 students. About half had gone from an early French immersion program to a French language school in Europe. The others had either attended French schools in Quebec or schools using a…

The first section of the ninth annual report of the National Advisory and Coordinating Council on Bilingual Education (NACCBE) provides an overview of the Council's functions and activities. It also discusses current bilingual education law; the changed structure of the advisory council; the new doors opened by the 1984 Amendments of the Bilingual…

Presents an annual survey of doctoral degrees granted in foreign languages, literatures, cultures, linguistics and foreign language education in the United States. The report lists degrees in the fields of African Languages and Literatures, Asian Languages and Literatures, Celtic Languages and Literatures, Classics, Comparative Literature,…

Discusses the teaching of foreign languages to students below high school level, explores the problem of conducting adequate language programs during a budget crisis, and suggests what will be faced by the elementary school foreign language (FLES) programs of the year 2000. (nine references) (GLR)

This book addresses the problem of the future of Germanics as a field of study at colleges and universities in the United States. It is noted that the study of Germanics has been losing tens of thousands of students for the past 25 years, that this slide downward is no longer attracting enough attention from the Germanics community, and if it…

Explains the relationship between international trade and language competence in Australia and describes programs to enable students to spend part of their study time learning European Community (EC) languages in countries other than their own. Also discusses the status of foreign language learning in the United Kingdom. (SM)

This publication reviews literature and presents findings concerning programs at the secondary school level that are designed to serve English language learners (ELLs). These are students who come from homes where English is not the primary language spoken and whose English language skills are assessed as needing improvement. The report organizes…

The implications for research of the Lau regulations, the political climate in which the regulations were withdrawn, and the Lau remedies are explored. Research activities have been mandated by the Bilingual Education Act of 1978 in the areas of needs assessment, the quality of educational services, and the effectiveness of Title VII programs.…

Implementing two-way bilingual programs requires the following: (1) planning; (2) clear goals; (3) teamwork between teachers, administrators, and parents; (4) specialized training for teachers; and (5) assessment of students' initial skills. (PS)

Alternating between languages in the construction of stories offers students creative opportunities for bilingual learning. Describes how a storyteller can code switch to tell stories to children who are becoming bilingual and presents an example from early-immersion classrooms in Colombia, discussing code switching and discourse control, and…