This paper is focused on one of the most common and basic ways of processing corpus information; concordance, and how it can be used in the classroom to offer language learners useful vocabulary that they would face in genuine conversations and help them detect language patterns as this ability helps them with their learning process. In addition,…

This article focuses on children's language alternation practices in two primary school settings. More specifically we explore how participants (children and teachers) in episodes of language alternation invoke linguistic and social identities, thereby "talking into being" language and educational ideologies. The present study is based…

Considers that the comparison between children's success in learning new names in the Harry Potter books versus the relative failure of adults to learn new names connected to the September 11th attacks provides a real-world situation from which principles can be deduced to help educators succeed in teaching vocabulary lessons. Offers classroom…

This booklet is one of a series developed by the Northern Colorado Educational Board of Cooperative Services to make available to teachers ideas designed and tested by other teachers. Many of the ideas are from educational journals as well as from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). The booklet is divided into seven sections:…

Spanish language teachers are encouraged to introduce popular sayings, figures of speech, and proverbs into the language curriculum, both as a means of maintaining the usage of the expressions and to bring variety to the language taught. Definitions, characteristics, origins, and general uses of such expressions are outlined. Some of the most…

Explains the rationale for the use of Spanish music in Spanish language classes, and describes students' reactions, how the music is used to help the listening/writing experience, and how recorded commercials in Spanish aid in learning language patterns. (GLR)

Various games are described for the teaching of English to adults. The focus of the language and learning games described is on samples of language constructions as for example "may have + infinitive" or the question pattern with "do/does". (IFS/WGA)

Examines the range of conditional sentences which appear in English in contrast to the restricted selection of conditionals usually presented to foreign students. Sample exercises for identifying types of conditionals and determining appropriate conditional structures are provided. (Author/LMO)

Offers a group approach method to learning new structures in German. Students practice one pattern by constructing sentences in a simple, mildly competitive board game that can easily be put together by the teacher. (GLR)

A system for classifying (coding) translations of sentence-length or similar material is presented and illustrated with codings of entries in the "Dictionary of Foreign Phrases and Classical Quotations." Problems in coding are discussed, relating especially to intertextuality, intention, and ownership. The system is intended for pedagogic use, and…

Acknowledging that to study the development of a language is to study the history and culture of people and that English has been influenced by many geographic, political, economic, social, and linguistic forces, this booklet provides a ready reference for elementary and middle school/junior high school teachers confronted with students' questions…

The importance of training second language learners in the patterns of occurrence of certain phonemes is discussed, focusing on the use of spelling as a primary predictor of pronunciation. Four different pronunciations of "ng" in English (as in "engaging, singer, changing, dangle") are used to illustrate this principle. A review of pronunciation…

A discussion of spelling instruction for learners of English as a second language (ESL) looks at writing systems, the literature of ESL instruction, and the literature of English language arts in general. It begins with a typology of writing systems, examining how they represent both grammatical and phonological features. The nature of English…

Compared expressive language used by preschoolers when engaged at a classroom computer center with that used during free play. Found that mean lengths of utterance showed no significant differences in amount of language spoken, no matter the context. Found exceptions in which one student was more expressive at the computer, and three others were…

An approach to English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) teaching that helps students prepare for intercultural communication is described, drawing on the literature of second language learning and intercultural communication. First, potential barriers to intercultural understanding are examined, including the culture-bound nature of communication,…