Over the past two decades, many scholars and practitioners in foreign language teaching have advocated for multiliteracies approaches, which envision language learning as the development of an expanding repertoire of linguistic and other semiotic resources for making meaning. Despite the attention to the role of learners as active designers of…

Although the language teaching profession has long emphasized the use of the target language in the classroom, student teachers face various challenges in their efforts to conduct class in their target language. This case study focused on 10 student teachers with respect to (1) their initial attitudes and beliefs about using the target language,…

Discusses how linguistic comparisons can be incorporate into foreign language classroom activities. draws on Slobin's (1996) experimental study, which demonstrated the existence of "the thinking for speaking" form of thought and argues that teaching foreign language entails teaching novel "thinking for speaking operations. (Author/VWL)

In lieu of language lab attendance, second-year language students had the option of attending a drama lab. This program has met with great success. The objective of the lab is to improve skills in pronunciation, intonation, and stress patterns. Also, an environment is created in which the student feels at home with the target language. (PJM)

French cuisine offers a valuable resource for creating culture-based contexts for language use in the classroom. Suggestions and ideas are presented for incorporating food-related activities in the French class. (VWL)

A report is made on the use of foreign language for spontaneous communication in an elementary language class. Four correction-free, peer communicative/interaction activities are outlined according to procedures, objectives, and evaluations. (Author/RM)

Presents a case study of vocabulary learning in Japanese for five students under different instructional conditions. Examines whether output activities facilitated the retention of words more effectively than input-dominant activities, which require students to comprehend questions involving target words but do not encourage them to use the words…

Describes four techniques for using a video camera to generate higher levels of student interest, involvement, and productivity in beginning foreign language courses. The techniques include spontaneous discussion of video images, enhancement of students' use of interrogative pronouns and phrases, grammar instruction, and student-produced skits.…

Proposes activities involving the World Wide Web that reflect the emphasis in the national standards for foreign-language learning on learning about other cultures and the necessity for becoming a lifelong learner. Proposes learning scenarios at the three grade levels for six standards covering all five Cs, using French as the target language.…

A movement called Language Awareness has received some attention in L2 acquisition and foreign language pedagogy circles during the past decade. Language Awareness, according to Donmall (1985), refers to "a person's sensitivity to and conscious awareness of the nature of language and its role in human life" (p. 7). The primary goal of this…

Suggestions are given for activities to celebrate Foreign Language Week, including public awareness exhibits, teacher involvement, food-related activities, sports, festivals and fairs, round tables and discussions, library involvement, planning and organizing techniques, and publicity efforts. (MSE)

The study described in this article sought to compare the effects of English language brainstorming activities with similar activities conducted in French in terms of their effects on the coherence of compositions drafted by intermediate-level college French students. (Author/VWL)

A number of conversation exercises are described for use in second language teaching which are intended to promote communication in the foreign language by creating among the students a need to talk and a need to listen. (RM)

Investigates the context of writing instruction in a second-year, second-semester German course. Focusing on a children's story project, the researchers describe how writing is taught in the course; the relationship of writing assignments to the rest of the course curriculum; and the perceptions of foreign language writing, including its purpose,…

This research project investigated the role of the literary text in intermediate reading instruction in an attempt to address the question of how instructors can integrate literary selections into all levels of language instruction. Specifically, the study examined one particular classroom environment and explored its relationship to our present…