The methods and materials used in a language lab (LL) are analyzed. The theoretical advantages of the LL are enumerated, including its ability to provide a variety of programs and activities and its provision of an opportunity for students to listen critically to their voices. In order to determine if these advantages are being used, a set of…

Laboratory practice requires preparation in class and adequate follow-up. Like the library, it does not replace the teacher but is an auxiliary to teaching. The laboratory is not a panacea, but a place for continued experimentation and innovation in teaching methods. Variety in instruction is required. (PJM)

High school language laboratories have been modernized and redefined to become "Language Resource Centers" which should serve not only as language laboratories but also as resource centers, the focal point for all language instruction, and as a clearinghouse for multiple, flexible instructional approaches. (Author/CB)

Describes the "natural language lab" that was responsible for the author's learning English and other languages. States that the lab provided the experience of real and meaningful interactions with native speakers of the language, which is crucially needed for successful second-language acquisition. (PRA)

A compilation and review of essential information for the language lab director includes recommended books, electronic lists and newsgroups, professional organizations, and management humor. (four references) (CNP)

Accepting the great motivational value of computers in second-language learning, this article describes ways to use authentic language recorded on a computer with HyperCard. Graphics, sound, and hardware/software requirements are noted, along with brief descriptions of programing with sound and specific programs. (LB)

Suggests ways in which language laboratory technicians and language department faculty can cooperate to integrate the foreign language curriculum and laboratory use. (AM)

Defines the relationship that is intended between classroom-based and laboratory based activities, private study and language class, individual and collective effort, and computer-centered and teacher-led learning. Suggests that the aid the computer can provide can be effectively brought into the classroom as an integral part of the teacher's own…

Shows how the language laboratory can become a primary point of convergence for the foreign language department. Discusses how the language laboratory at one college gained momentum as a support for collaborative learning, curricular reform, and study abroad, resulting in greater visibility for the foreign language department on campus and…

This article discusses how a language laboratory can be used effectively in an English as a second language/English as a foreign language program. The lab should be used primarily for listening comprehension, not for drill and repetition. (CFM)

Perspectives on and methods in second language teaching have changed rapidly during the past 10 years. So also have the role and function of the language laboratory and the laboratory instructor. One area of concern, listening, has been somewhat neglected; generally it has been taught toward the end of increasing speaking proficiency. A review of…

Examines the place and use of language labs, audiovisual equipment, and computers in foreign language classrooms of the future. (EKN)

Describes a variety of possible uses of computers in second- language instruction that go beyond traditional drill-and-practice programs. (Author/JL)

Discusses the use of compact cassettes in the context of individualized foreign language teaching in laboratory work at the university level. Presents and comments on some technical data regarding the relative merits of cassettes v reels. (IFS/WGA)

Discusses the role of language laboratories in retrospective, paying attention to the technology diffusion process that accounted for their initial success, and contributing arguments for a revision of their historical evolution into a new tool for learning and teaching foreign languages. Includes a survey of existing language laboratory…