Pinyin is a sound-annotating system for Chinese characters using Roman letters. Teaching and learning Pinyin has been an important educational practice in Mainland China for native Chinese children, and it is also typically taught to beginning learners of Chinese as a foreign/second language in tertiary-level classrooms. However, whether it should…

Outlines strategies for teaching listening comprehension which can be adapted to foreign language programs. The initial stage is to make the students aware of the skill of listening for comprehension. Then follows strategies that demand purposeful reactions from the students, including instruction activities, command activities, personal-choice…

The use of teacher-made captions or subtitles to accompany slide and film presentations in foreign language classes is discussed. (JB)

A preliminary set of principles of judging the pedagogical utility of proposed grammar rules is offered. The goal is the inclusion in teaching materials of only those rules which are linguistically accurate, pedagogically sound, and relevant to specified instructional objectives. (Author)

It is suggested that reading material for individualized instruction in second language learning should be adapted to provide students with a set of guiding questions. Specific types of questions and possible formats are presented. These suggestions were applied to a workbook accompanying a short novel. (Author/RM)

Describes the findings in foreign language research and the goals of global education that motivated the use of cities as a point of departure for activities and materials development. Suggests ideas for integrating city-based contextual information into activities for introductory classes and sources of information. Topics for study at…

Priorities developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages in 1980 as the focus for activities in the near future are presented, including specific aspects of curriculum and materials development, foreign language proficiency, public awareness, research, and teacher education. (MSE)

Describes an experimental course for language teachers in global education. The course tested the hypothesis that teachers, given an in-depth understanding of culture and culture-learning theory, and given the experiences necessary to discern the process both affectively and cognitively, could successfully develop the meaningful, skill-building…

Presents areas of agreement among professionals on research and theory in language teaching as it is applicable to classroom methodology and contrasts these with assumptions held by many teachers and laypersons. Considers the practical implications of these points of accord and presents recommendations for teacher training and the development of…

Defines "listening comprehension" and discusses both its role in the process of first and second language acquisition and the modes of language processing presumed to operate in listening comprehension. Presents specific teaching strategies and material incorporating listening comprehension in the foreign language classroom at all levels. (SED)

Discusses the need to foster foreign language and international studies in the United States, with emphasis on research, curriculum and materials development, and teacher education. Recommendations are made regarding new legislation, priorities in existing legislation, and activities requiring the cooperation and organization of the foreign…

Provides statements from the following persons concerning the problem of having too much material in the textbook to cover and ways teachers can cope with it: Anthony Gradisnik, Joan Miller, Lorraine A. Strasheim, Rebecca M. Valette, and Helen P. Warriner. (RM)

Describes the implementation of a first-year comprehension-based Spanish language program at New Mexico State University. Includes a discussion of the history of the program and of the problems encountered in changing a traditional curriculum. Also describes the materials, classroom practice, and testing and evaluation techniques used in the…

Presents a method for classifying errors of second language learners for the purpose of: (1) evaluating information in samples of students' communication, (2) diagnosing individual learner needs, (3) developing individualized instructional materials, and (4) deciding which errors to correct first. Suggests applications of the method in…