This document presents the case for the use of situational reinforcement (SR) as a language teaching method of which all teachers of languages should be made aware. SR is defined as a horizontal approach to language learning, a process of gradual familiarization where students are presented with a mixture of language structures from the outset;…

An experience approach to composition for intermediate or better students is detailed. It utilizes students' own interests and knowledge, prepares them for writing, makes transitions from oral to written English and encourages individual purposes in writing. Weaknesses of controlled composition are mentioned. (SCC)

This article criticizes the use of translation from English into French as a method of teaching French, and proposes alternative methods, including a variation on the language experience approach. (CLK)

The expanded foreign study and foreign language programs offered at Dartmouth are examined with emphasis on the influence of Peace Corps language programs during the last half-dozen years on American college campuses. The impact of the programs at Dartmouth since 1964 is discussed in terms of: (1) a brief history of language instruction at…

Because disadvantaged Spanish-American children were handicapped by limited language learning and inability to express themselves freely, a model for language training was developed and is being used in the primary grades of the Tucson , Arizona, public schools. The model is based on John Carroll's grammatical analysis and involves teaching…

This paper describes a technique for giving ESL (English as a second language) students with rather limited English ability an opportunity to talk on a regular basis. The technique takes into consideration: (1) the time limitations of the classroom; (2) the tendency of some students to dominate discussion and the need for giving others…

This paper suggests an approach to communication skills which views these skills, in first and second language acquisition, as related, integrated "language-experiences." Three examples of language-experience situations are presented, the first dealing with native language acquisition, and the other two with second language learning. Thirty-two…

When the author's family spent a year in Germany, two of the children attended German schools, where they were forced to learn German for all communication. On the basis of that experience, it is suggested that classrooms employ situations similar to total immersion in language teaching. Teaching and learning for communication depend on three…

This paper reports on an experiment carried out by the Chinese language program at Oberlin College to use play production as a means of teaching spoken Chinese. The experiment was inspired by the fact that teaching spoken Chinese cannot be solved by traditional classroom methods, particularly at the intermediate level. The lack of texts, the…

This monograph points out the difficulties in language development of which teachers should be aware, suggests some methods through which children may be helped to overcome comprehension problems, and presents bibliographies helpful for persons who wish to undertake further reading. Chapters include "Some Possible Origins of the Prevalence of…

This test is intended for use with a two-volume, 32-lesson set of materials for rural disadvantaged kindergarten children. The lessons are designed to help alleviate language deficiencies of the children by providing them with school-related activities, communication and cultural experiences, and other readiness instruction through language…

This paper describes a method of language teaching known as counseling-learning, which attends to the psychological and emotional needs of students. The traditional approach to language instruction has generally underestimated this aspect of learning and its importance. The counseling-learning method relies on untapped sources within the student…

This paper explains a language teaching method derived from the questioning of students regarding the contents of a foreign language text; student responses are made in the target language. (CK)