This study examines the effectiveness of minimally trained tutors providing a highly structured tutoring intervention for struggling readers. We screened students in Grades K-6 for participation in an after-school tutoring program. We randomly assigned those students not meeting the benchmark on a reading screening measure to either a tutoring…

Language education curricula and programs worldwide have begun emphasizing foreign language instruction for learners as young as 5-6 years, particularly in English. Yet, while studies have argued for the benefits of early language instruction, the results of this trend in terms of actual achievement are not clear. For this reason, the researchers…

This paper presents findings from a 4-year project that developed and implemented a blended inquiry science and English Language Development (ELD) program in a large urban California school district. The sample included over 2,000 students in Kindergarten through 5th grade. Participating students' English and science achievement was compared to a…

In this article, I describe studies conducted over 25 years with secondary and post-secondary L2 learners in the United States. The evidence from these studies shows that there are important connections between students' early L1 skills and their L2 aptitude and L2 proficiency and that individual differences in students' L1 skills in elementary…

In 2001, California instituted a statewide test measuring English proficiency for English learners, students who are not proficient in English. In 2003 and 2004, nearly 500,000 English learners in grades 1-5 took this test each year. The relationship between bilingual education receipt and English proficiency is estimated using value-added…

A number of issues of central importance to understanding the nature of language, its acquisition and use were considered at a seminar on language learning. Papers delivered at the seminar are as follows: "Why Don't Learners Learn What Teachers Teach? The Interaction Hypothesis" (Dick Allwright); "The Role of Instruction in Second Language…

Eight selected papers from a conference on the teaching of foreign languages cover three main topics: learner-centered priorities; learner-directed strategies; and planning strategies. After an introduction by Lorraine A. Strasheim on learners and learning outcomes, the papers and authors are as follows: "The Developing Child: What Every FLES…

Investigation of associations between learning-disabled children's ability to repeat pseudowords and their performances on other measures of phonological processing and academic achievement found that repetition ability was more closely related to reading and spelling skills than to mathematics achievement, while measures of phonological skills…

A resource kit for the teaching of listening comprehension in French at the beginning elementary level is represented by a teacher's guide and a handbook entitled "The Maple Sugar Industry." The guide offers sample activities and lesson plans, as well as a complete procedure for conducting a listening comprehension test. Instructions are given for…

Describes the development and evaluation of a test designed to measure the level of achievement in Hebrew as a second language. Suggests procedures for developing a similar second language achievement test. (EKN)

This achievement test booklet is designed to assist the teacher in determining the length of time pupils should spend in Level 1 of English as a second language, and to test proficiency in the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Listening and speaking tests may be used in kindergarten through grade 12, reading and writing tests in…

Ten essays address aspects of second language instruction at the elementary school level: "Elementary School Foreign Languages: Perspectives, Practices, and Promises" (Carol Ann Pesola, Helena Anderson Curtain); "The Integrated Curriculum: Rethinking the Elementary School Foreign Language Program for the '90s" (Virginia…

Revised version of a paper presented at the 1971 Annual Meeting of the Society for Applied Linguistics. (DD)

Most instructional materials developed in the past 10-15 years do not provide for sufficient activities to allow the student to become involved in anything other than drill and memorization. Furthermore, in those situations where "communication activities" do occur, they are designed to teach the sentence as a structural, grammatical…

Investigation of the effect of examiner unfamiliarity on the performance of eight learning-disabled (LD) and eight mentally retarded (MR) elementary school students on language tests revealed that, while LD subjects scored higher when tested in the familiar examiner condition, MR subjects scored similarly in the two examiner conditions. (Author/CB)