Describes theory and experimental findings of Asher and Postovsky in their investigations on how children acquire listening skills. (RL)

Discusses the use of the vidicon as a means of developing student motivation in language programs. (RL)

The audio-lingual method of foreign language instruction predominant in the United States emphasizes the lingual at the expense of the aural. Language acquisition is viewed as verbal behavior. Instead of a response-oriented learning approach, a stimulus-oriented one should be used, with listening as the focal skill from which speaking would…

Listening comprehension exercises in second language instruction are expected to: (1) increase students' efficiency at message extraction, and (2) lead to assimilation of new vocabulary and expressions. Data from a small experiment using such exercises illustrate the distinctions drawn and the limitations. (CHK)

A technique is outlined which simultaneously checks students' aural and oral control of sounds and prosodies. Intended for intermediate and advanced students, the test consists of a number of minimal pairs which are read by different people while the others listen and note which of the alternatives they hear. (SW)

Suggestions for the effective use of the dialog in audiolingual language classes include descriptions of (1) planned preliminary activities, (2) method of presenting and drilling dialog lines, and (3) the instructional potential of mastered material. Significant emphasis is placed on practices advocated by Gaarder. (AF)

Listening to native speakers' taped situational interchanges on a frequent basis from the onset of instruction offers numerous advantages to the language learner. Gives suggestions to the instructor on how to make, obtain, and use such tapes. (PMJ)

The foreign language instruction in the United States has followed a paradigm commonly called the "audio-lingual" method for almost twenty years. This paradigm is basically response-oriented and based upon structural linguistics and behavioral psychology. It focuses attention on speaking as the primary skill. It has not lived up to expectations.…

One of the major problems of secondary school second language teachers in British Columbia is providing work that a student can do individually, leaving the teacher free for other students. It is rare that individual work includes oral-aural practice. A teaching method is presented that allows individualized instruction without sacrificing…

During his sabbatical leave, the author traveled to Guam, the Trust Territory of the Pacific, and Japan to observe English-language programs. He reports on the contacts that he made and the programs that he observed. He gives his general impressions of the English-language activity in each location and makes several recommendations as a result of…

Special emphasis is placed on the potential of dialog learning in a discussion of a sequence of activities and materials appropriate for developing the recognition and selection levels of activity involved in listening to a foreign language. Also referred to are the (1) procedural features of presentation, (2) emotional problems possibly resulting…

This guide describes well-established and practical pedagogical behaviors for a foreign language teacher in an ordinary situation, a classroom with 20-35 pupils who are beginning the study of a foreign language in school or college. The first chapter, "The Five Stages," discusses the stages through which an item (a word, construction, or idiom) in…

Skills in comprehending the spoken language source are becoming increasingly important due to the audio-visual orientation of our culture. It would seem natural, therefore, to adjust the learning goals and environment accordingly. The video-cassette machine is an ideal means for creating this learning environment and developing the listening…