Sports and athletics belong to all cultures; at the same time aspects of them are typical of U.S. culture. As a theme they can be used as a springboard for a "transcultural dialogue" in the language acquisition process. A review of literature shows that very little has been written about developing language skills and cultural understanding…

This study of the notional-functional approach to second language teaching reviews the history and theoretical background of the method, current issues, and implementation of a notional-functional syllabus. Chapter 1 discusses the history and theory of the approach and the organization and advantages of the notional-functional syllabus. Chapter 2…

The use of speech or language produced by native speakers in real situations for teaching oral communication skills in the second language classroom is described. Three sample lessons, based on the author's teaching experience in Japan, are presented. All lessons used material called "The Bellcrest Story," produced by the British…