This study reports the impact of a professional development course on experienced, highly qualified secondary school teachers of English as a foreign language in preparation for their becoming paid assessors of student teachers on practicum. The course concerned a literacy-oriented pedagogy informed by literacy pedagogical content knowledge…

Two hypotheses are proposed: second language learning enhances various intellectual skills, especially those related to intellectual flexibility, dexterity, and adaptability; and second language learning can help to develop interadaptability; personal understanding. (SW)

An attempt was made to evaluate the effectiveness of a standard one-year advanced English course at Haifa University by administering the same English comprehension test to students before and after the course. Results show that the higher the initial level of the student, the higher his improvement score. (CHK)

Lists the values acquired through the study of foreign languages. These include an acquisition of a sense of a relevant past; expansion of one's world view; contribution to the creation of a student's personality; development of the intellect; encouragement of respect for other peoples; and exposure to modes of thought outside one's native…

Student apprehension about discussing intellectually "risky" ideas in the foreign language literature class can be addressed through construction of a classroom environment in which students gain confidence. The governing principle is the sequencing of risk. Students perceive risks to be in: (1) making a linguistic error; (2) making an error of…

The gap between the language that foreign language teachers present to their students in the classroom and the language of real-life situations is discussed. The use of dialogues in the classroom and oral comprehension as a learning activity are covered. (SW)

The language teaching method presented here is an inter-related set of techniques for teaching target comprehension skills directly to students on both university and high school levels. Three elements of the method are discussed: (1) the basics of a comprehension-based classroom; (2) the expanded speaking component; and (3) the expanded reading…

Comprehension for the foreign language learner is discussed, and it is claimed that comprehension is not a by-product of the other skills but should be taught and tested throughout a course of study. The channel or medium used in communication will influence the understanding of the message. Differences involved in reading and listening…

A series of partial studies aimed at understanding how much progress students can make in 1 year of second language study are described. The first concerns Swedish university students in their first year studying Spanish as a third language in higher education. Students were tested and interviewed for their perceptions of their language ability…

This article describes a course in listening comprehension methodology in a College of Education in Holland. The main concern of the article is to examine the teacher-trainer's organization of the students' learning process. The course is divided into three sections: (1) group discussion of the concept of listening comprehension; (2) discussion of…