This volume reports on innovative, useful evaluation work conducted within U.S. college foreign language programs. An introductory chapter scopes out the territory, reporting key findings from research into the concerns, impetuses, and uses for evaluation that FL educators identify. Seven chapters then highlight examples of evaluations conducted…

The text of a classroom lesson on the distribution and use of the Portuguese language in African countries, written in Portuguese and containing an explanation of and practice in using the definite article with African place names, is presented. The lesson is accompanied by vocabulary notes in the margin, a list of questions on the text, and a mpa…

Classroom procedures for Brazilians to develop English reading abilities in the shortest possible time are outlined, based on the idea that the students possess dormant lexical and syntactic competence from their native language experience. The techniques combine simplification with reading activities aimed at guessing in the target language. (MSE)

Ten guidelines, along with corresponding teaching techniques and learning activities, are offered for developing students' communicative proficiency as described in the "ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines." The objective is to improve students' Spanish and Portuguese communication ability in authentic, situational contexts. (16 references) (LB)

Outlines a lesson in a college Spanish class in which the students were shown the close relationship between Spanish and Portuguese. This kind of class not only makes the students more conscious of the relatedness of languages but also can stimulate their interest in studying another language. (CFM)

Describes the development and use of a video module for an intensive conversational Portuguese class for graduate business students. Tips are given for successful classroom use of off-air videocassette recordings. (LMO)

This curriculum for Manitoba's heritage language instruction program in Portuguese outlines the curriculum's rationale and design and suggests techniques and materials for carrying out instruction. Introductory sections discuss suggested time allotments, oral and written evaluation methods for grades 1-6 and 7-12, general program goals, and…

Brief passages are presented that are appropriate for teachers to use on bulletin boards as introductions to seven American holidays. It is noted that learning about American holidays and celebrations is an excellent way for students, especially in English-as-a-Second-Language classes, to gain a better understanding of American culture. However,…

A guide for teachers of second language reading offers ideas for using authentic texts as instructional materials. The guide focuses on how to teach students to become strategic readers and use their background knowledge to enhance comprehension. Schema theory is proposed as a framework for approaching reading tasks, by providing relevant pre- and…

The methodology reported in this paper argues for a synthesis of various theories and methods. First, a synopsis is given of the pedagogical and linguistic approaches that should underlie a successful attempt to teach the contrast in two verb tenses in Portuguese. Secondly, a contrast unique to Portuguese is examined and a multistage approach for…

The materials status report for Portuguese is one of a series intended to provide the nonspecialist with a picture of the availability and quality of texts for teaching the language to English speakers. The report consists of: (1) a brief narrative description of the language, the areas where it is spoken, its major dialects, its writing system,…

One of the units developed as part of the "Around the World" exploratory language program in South Carolina, this unit on Brazil aims to develop in students an awareness of Brazilian culture through experiential language and cultural activities. The guide has the following components: (1) a list of resources including books, special…

This instructional aid for elementary and secondary teachers of English as a second language recommends itself especially to those situations where a bilingual teacher and a formal bilingual program are not available. The first item presented is a letter to parents translated into each of the 21 languages covered. The letter urges the parents to…

The purpose the Native Language Literacy Screening Device (NLLSD) is to give English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) practitioners a sense of the native language literacy levels of learners coming into their programs. This is worth knowing because when learners have had limited schooling in their first language instructional strategies used…

This guide is designed for tutors and teachers of literacy in rural locations in Australia, and their trainers, to help them respond appropriately to the language and literacy needs of adults of non-English-speaking background. It is divided into five sections. The first is an introduction. The second addresses the general topics of language…