Second language learners, particularly those with lower proficiency, often struggle with insufficient practice and heightened anxiety when speaking. This case study investigates the impact of one-on-one online conversation lessons on a university student's speaking skills and language anxiety. The participant, a university student with low…

The present investigation was an attempt to study the effect of using compensation and determination strategies on Iranian upper-intermediate EFL learners' vocabulary development. The question which the present study was trying to answer was: Do compensation and determination strategies have any statistically significant effects on Iranian upper-…

The present study was conducted at Parsayan Language Institute in Isfahan, Iran. The students in pre-intermediate and intermediate classes were examined to investigate the relationship between degrees of learner autonomy, use of strategies for coping with speaking problems and the learners' success in their speaking classes. To determine the…

This study investigates closing patterns for an institutional conversation in an ELP (English Language Program) at a university in the United States, noting the relationship between the closing patterns of the participants and their level of proficiency in English. By indicating that ESL learners, especially beginners, face difficulty in closing…

Reports on 7 case studies of a 15-hour conversational English program for Cantonese-speaking Hong Kong college students. A comparison of pretests, course work, and posttests showed a small rise in the scores of four students and a nonsignificant drop in the scores of three students. (contains 13 references) (MDM) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse for…

Concerns research in the use of cloze tests to measure a particular language skill when a standardized paper-and-pencil test is not an obviously appropriate validating instrument. The conversational cloze test proved to be superior to a written or prose cloze test in measuring the students' oral ability. Statistical tables are given. (Author/PJM)

Discusses a survey unit that has been very successful with conversation classes of low-intermediate university English-as-a-foreign-language students. It can easily be adapted for students of various ages and proficiency levels by varying the types of questions as well as class sizes and by changing the number of questions. (Author/VWL)

A description of the use of flowcharts in teaching students of English as a second language (ESL) to "map" dialogue for conversation begins with a review of the literature concerning the flowchart form and content. Conversational form and logic and the discourse chart designed by Mohr and adapted for this study are discussed. The classroom…

This program was developed and implemented to increase adult ESOL students' chances to participate in conversations with each other, thereby increasing both their fluency and their confidence. Additionally, a target group with both low language levels and low confidence was separated from the higher achievers in order to decrease their…

Conversation classes have three goals: (1) to introduce and practice elements of spoken language; (2) to bring passive knowledge of the language into active use; and (3) to create a situation in which the two other goals may be realized. The place, the material, and the topic are important in achieving these goals. (CFM)

The discussion centers around the amount and kind of participation that should be asked of a student taking reading and oral comprehension tests. For each test there are four levels of participation; zero, limited, extended, and complete. The test designer should create a situation which will encourage the subject to give maximum expression,…

This book gathers ideas and practices in teaching English as a second language to serve as a reference for the leader of a conversation group. A variety of tested techniques is included for stimulating conversation among students with a basic command of English. The book begins with a discussion of what is involved in directed conversation…

Classroom observation of three adult English as a second language classes and pre- and post-testing of students for proficiency were used to investigate the relationships between instructional processes and learning outcomes. The observation scheme, Communicative Orientation of Language Teaching, and the various results are described in detail.…

The objective of this course is to enable students to negotiate a business transaction directly in English. The proposed setting is a conference room and the interlocutors are upper middle class professional people. The learners are students of business administration in France who already possess some knowledge of English vocabulary and grammar.…

From the beginning, a major preoccupation of the business English course described here has been to respond to students' needs concerning programs of study as well as their future professional needs. Accordingly, these principles basic to all teaching procedures were adopted: (1) the material being learned must be put into practice; (2) such…