The injection of conversation/discussion sessions into English language laboratory exercises could help to achieve the major objective of teaching English as a foreign language--helping the learner to express himself in English. Steps in developing the method are outlined. (SW)

This paper examines the effect which certain environmental variables have upon learning to speak English as a second language. (Author)

A description is given of experiments involving the standardization of aspects of oral fluency testing. Oral fluency is understood to imply a "communicative competence" requiring an ability to formulate accurate and appropriate utterances of more than one sentence in length. Throughout the test emphasis is laid on ease of application and…

Discusses the differences in conversational structures and verbal strategies between languages and cultures and the teaching of such differences. The use of literary texts is advocated. (AM)

Progress in the teaching of oral comprehension depends partly on the isolation of factors which block comprehension. Research in conjunction with an experimental course in English as a second language led to the definition of errors due to: (1) insufficient knowledge of the language and the cultural context of its use, and (2) a failure to…

An examination of current educational theory regarding the functions of language, exploring the relationship of language and thought, various views of linguistic poverty, and language use and instruction in the school. (EH)

This study focuses on a native speaker of Chinese, in her 40's, who began to learn English in her late 20's when she emigrated to the United States. It was discovered that the subject was able to self-correct nearly every error she made in casual speech when the errors were pointed out to her after their commission. Furthermore, in nearly every…

This article proposes improving the use of the language lab in second language teaching by increasing the importance of actual spoken language in relation to structural exercises, which may be of an artificial nature. (Text is in French.) (CDSH/CLK)

Tape-recorded conversations provide a basis for analysis of fixed expressions, cliches, filled pauses and false starts in spontaneous speech. The meaning of these findings for second language learning and instruction is discussed. (CHK)

Even though modern methods of teaching emphasize listening and speaking, seldom are students of English tested in a standardized way on their ability to communicate through these skills. Many people learn to communicate well enough to conduct daily affairs in a new language, yet are unable to read, write, or speak any educated form of it. They are…

Discusses "proper intake" (intake that contains certain designated features of informal communication) in the classroom, when the goal is for students to be able to use language in informal communication. (Author/HP)

The comparatively small vowel inventory of Bantu languages leads young Bantu learners to produce "undifferentiations," so that, for example, the spoken forms of "hat,""hut,""heart" and "hurt" sound the same to a British ear. The two criteria for a non-native speaker's spoken performance are…

This book is concerned with language as it is used by the teacher, as it affects the learner, and as it can function to integrate the curriculum. Douglas Barnes, in "Language in the Secondary Classroom," discusses the student-teacher language interaction in 12 sample lessons, and analyzes the importance upon student learning of the languages used…

This text contains 66 lessons in Fante for the student of Fante as a second language. The principal emphasis of the lessons is in developing skills in the spoken language, and study is preferable with a native speaker of Fante. The use of English is to be avoided except when absolutely necessary. Because of the attention given to oral skills, the…

The article shows six ways in which communicative competence can be increased. The six sections show how the foreign language student can acquire competence in expressing (as an example) the concept "irritation". For each definition of "irritation," many examples are given. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)