Purpose: This paper, which originates in an English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classroom activity in Hong Kong, aims to explore English learners' expressive and creative potential in writing by studying their work in the literary narrative genre. Design/methodology/approach: A group of upper secondary students (15-16 years of age) with limited…

This article introduces a pedagogical intervention that includes a set of creative activities designed to improve the oral and written production of students in the English classroom, especially those who have shown a lack of interest or attention. It was observed that participants initially seemed careless about studying the language. Eventually…

After a brief discussion of discovery writing, several types of writing activities are suggested that can enhance learning and critical thinking. They include free writes, journals, electronic dialogue, collaborative writing assignments, and class newsletters. (LB)

Group creative writing activities encourage foreign language students to participate on various levels as thinkers, writers, readers, and critics. Students stimulate, correct, and give feedback to each other about writing skills. (CB)

This article deals with the teaching of spelling to students of foreign languages. Sample spelling exercises are given, mostly for the teaching of French. The simplest exercises involve filling in blanks with letters in response to a picture, the copying of whole words in activities such as crossword puzzles and sentences with blanks, and…

Three activities used with first-year French students are described: (1) drawing pictures by following directions which demonstrates knowledge of subjects and prepositions, (2) reading a poem in French and rewriting it in French prose, and (3) learning numbers through role-plays involving money. (PMJ)

Gives the guidelines for a unit of study based on creative activities. Defines procedures, rules of the game, and basic information. The exercises provide instructions and suggestions to stimulate the learners to gradually build a fictional world as a backdrop for the interaction of characters emerging from group work and discussion. (MES)

Four activities for the French language classroom are described, including a comprehension game based on the cow's digestive system, a group journal exercise using current events, an economics vocabulary development activity, and a grammar exercise focusing on the use of determiners in news articles. (MSE)

This college-level textbook, entirely in Arabic, is designed to help students develop specific reading skills, namely, skimming and scanning. Users should have had at least 30 quarter hours of Arabic instruction previously. The reading selections and tasks are intended to promote reading fluency by also increasing reading speed. Learner tasks also…

A study investigated how the core experiences of a whole language kindergarten influenced four Korean immigrant children to acquire English language and literacy. Core experiences examined include reading aloud and response, shared reading and writing, independent reading and writing, and inquiry activities. Information gathered for the case…

This Spanish activity packet was designed to be used with the map study portion of each of twelve units in a second year course in Spanish. Each unit deals with a different Spanish-speaking country or place, such as Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, or Peru. Included here are worksheets, games, map outlines, crossword puzzles, skits, and cultural…

A survey of students of English as a Second Language at the University of South Florida found most ranked listening and/or speaking skills as most important to learn, and reading and writing skills much lower. They also perceived the inverse to be true of teachers. The challenge is to create a curriculum that provides for listening and speaking…

The use of mass media as a means of learning a foreign language from the beginning of language study is discussed. Using the media enables many of the features of the natural language acquisition process to be brought into play in a way that much current language teaching material does not. This position is supported by recent research into the…

Compiled by a group of teachers new to the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) field, this volume contains writing samples from teachers involved in the participatory approach to ESL classroom instruction. Introductory notes by Lee Hewitt cite the participatory approach as the most compelling method for teaching ESL adult learners. The…

This book sets out to adapt and use some of the practical approaches of genre theory to the teaching of writing to English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) and Basic Skills students in Britain. The book has 9 units exploring different types of text or genres, descriptions of people, descriptions of places, personal narratives, folk stories,…