This paper presents the process and the outcomes of an action research project aimed at examining and improving pedagogical practices in a Norwegian in-service English teacher course through the use of the Reflective Teaching Model (Hart, Najee-ullah, & Schultz, 2004). The project was conducted in a constructivist-based classroom and consisted…

This paper will provide a review of research--regarding explicit grammar instruction--that groups recent studies into three main categories and then sub-categorizes these studies under key terms in second language acquisition (SLA) research. The overall purpose of this paper is to argue that in light of these issues, recent studies have shown that…

Elementary school English teachers in Taiwan face classes of students with differing levels of English proficiency, to the point where about one-third of the students may have never learned English before, and another third may already have read Harry Potter in English. A successful teacher recognizes that diversity may affect learning and works…

Teachers' subject knowledge is recognized as an essential component of effective teaching. In the foreign language context, teachers' subject knowledge includes language proficiency. In New Zealand high schools, foreign languages (e.g. Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish) have recently been offered to learners earlier in their schooling,…

While the need for certified elementary foreign language teachers is on the rise, foreign language teacher educators frequently encounter difficulty in securing good elementary field experiences for their student teachers due to the dearth of fully developed programs of foreign language in the elementary schools (FLES). This article presents a…

This paper calls attention to the vital need to reexamine the role of the students' first language in foreign language teaching. It provides a brief snapshot of the views concerning L1 use in L2 classes put forward by different methodological schools of thought over the last century. Through the presentation of potential uses of the first…

Good language teachers do not frighten students away by overwhelming them with the target language, but take pains to create student confidence in their ability to speak the language, beginning in the first class period. They present the language in such a way that students can interact with it immediately. This may mean that teachers must talk…

Describes techniques which enable high school teachers to use German in their classes as a means of communication and not just as an abstract problem for students to master. Covers using different media techniques, students as teachers, different approaches to the textbook, culture materials, and oral interview tests. (EKN)

Offers a model which can be used to describe any given second language teaching method, as well as analyze different methods for their internal adequacy, similarities, and differences. (EKN)

A technique used in college-level accounting courses helped students to develop technical expertise and, at the same time, to improve writing skills. The approach was intended for classes that include both large groups of students learning English as a Second Language (ESL) and groups of non-ESL students. Student responses to exam questions were…

The core of the work described in this paper is a small-scale qualitative research project based on the classroom observation of student teachers in England following a 1-year "PGCE" (postgraduate continuing education) course in 1992. This project was underpinned by an exploration of a theoretical model of the nature of the relationship…

Two models for teaching fluency and literacy in English as a Second Language (ESL) and native language literacy are described and the effectiveness of these models is demonstrated. Both models use cultural sharing and problem-posing as a basis for language learning. The objectives of these teaching models are to use language learning as a vehicle…