Briefly outlines the rationale for a transactional approach to language teaching. (PM)

This study was undertaken to determine the relative effectiveness of communicative and noncommunicative oral language practice in beginning college French. Two groups of students were compared regarding type of oral practice. Communicative practice students were superior to noncommunicative practice students in ability to send and receive messages…

A method for use in foreign language teaching which involves the use of conversation cards and interview cards is described. The method is intended to improve the ability of the student to communicate in the language and allow for greater individualization of instruction. (RM)

A shopping exercise for the foreign language classroom is described. In this exercise, students contribute unused items, "money" is provided, and the students then set up stores and buy and sell the items. (RM)

Discusses the belief that meaning is primary to a child learning language and concludes that teachers should develop language programs in which the use of language would be essential rather than incidental. (RL)

Eight different activities are suggested for the foreign language conversation class in order to vary the textbook emphasis. Among the suggested situations are a "last people on earth" session, sensitivity sessions, descriptions of paintings or photos, an improvised drama, and a mock trial. (CHK)

Use of challenge questioning is an approach to stimulating classroom conversation in a foreign language. Students ask questions, based on a reading selection, whose answers are not clearly given in the text. The instructor or other students are challenged to respond, and spontaneous conversation is facilitated. (CHK)

Knowing what, when and how to say something constitutes what sociolinguists call the "rules of speaking." Suggestions for using the three dimensions of language variation--setting, mode and participants--in teaching English to speakers of other languages are offered. Hopefully an awareness of systematic language variation will be fostered. (AMH)

Critical review and discussion of John Macnamara's "Nurseries, Streets and Classrooms," Modern Language Journal, v57 n5-6 p250-4 Sep-Oct 1973. (RL)

Proposes the "warm-up" exercise, providing sentence patterns and basic vocabulary, for the purpose of stimulating oral communication in the adult foreign language classroom. (AM)

Outlines a "post office" lesson used in foreign language teaching. Students write postcards to each other and class conversation becomes a realistic exercise in asking directions to the Post Office, price of postage, methods of mailing, etc. (CHK)

This article discusses error correction in the writing and speaking of foreign language learners. If it is decided that student errors should be corrected, should all errors be corrected or only particular ones? How should errors be corrected, when, and by whom? (CFM)

A study was conducted to determine the extent to which listening comprehension is impaired when students are confronted with the colloquial use of French, as opposed to its formal use. It was found that amoung 128 prospective French teachers who participated in the study, there existed a low comprehension level of colloquial French, a discrepancy…