The author discusses the reasons for using the language laboratory in foreign language instruction now that the functional approach has replaced the audiolingual method and gives examples of possible lab exercises. (CFM)

English for native speakers is compared and contrasted with English for non-native speakers by examining the influence of Moffett's (1968) structural curriculum for native speakers and the notional functional syllabus approach for second language learners. Both approaches are more rhetorical and less grammatical then the approaches that preceded…

Discusses five directions for integrating the notion of communicative competence in foreign-language instruction: functional orientation, focus on semantic notions, cyclical progression, inclusion of rhetorical device and discursive authenticity, and systematic treatment of language variation. (EKN)

Presents use of dialogs as way of implementing functional/notional approach in second language instruction. Steps in methodology include presentation and discussion, oral practice, questions and answers, examination of structure, transfer to oral or written activity, and summary of lesson's purpose. (BK)

Describes a project whose objectives are to bridge the gap between second language instruction and computer-assisted instruction, explore multimedia combinations, and stress productive language in language learning. (MSE)

Discusses one approach to teaching French grammar in a university second year communicative-oriented course. (EKN)

Questions the relevance of the traditional structural/grammatical approach to Russian course design. Suggests instead a functional notional approach and provides an overview of its rationale and principles. (EKN)

Discusses using structure drills in the foreign language classroom including use of same grammatical structure with slight variation, notional/functional drills, and situational dialogs. Suggests necessity of looking more closely at techniques in order to better understand teaching operation. (Author/BK)

A discussion of techniques for teachers to best use functional materials focuses on providing practice in recognizing and manipulating stress and intonation variations to produce attitudinally appropriate utterances. Lesson planning ideas for beginner and intermediate levels are included. (MSE)

The Polish notions catalog systematizes a variety of informational codes used in Polish, resulting in lists of notions, each presented from a structural perspective. Where applicable, they are accompanied by a morphological component, structural chart, semantic description, frequentative expressions, and related vocabulary items. The notions…

The problem of teaching the use of the verbs "ser" and "estar" in Spanish can be only partially addressed by current linguistic explanations. In the absence of rules that will enable the student to predict correct sentences using the verbs, the most effective teaching technique is to use a situational-functional approach providing students with…

The authors stress the importance of using a "science-oriented" syllabus when teaching a second language for specific purposes and identify the linguistic concepts which must be incorporated into such a syllabus. They discuss their experience in teaching Italian for specific Purposes at the National University in Somalia. (CFM)

Discusses the use of the term "communicative" in describing approaches to foreign- or second-language teaching. Suggests that a distinction should be drawn between informal communicative approaches which promote second-language acquisition and formal communicative approaches which promote conscious learning. Examines conditions for achieving both…

Describes an attempt to design a first-year university French course along lines laid down by researchers associated with the Council of Europe and proponents of the communicative approach. Aspects discussed include approach and objectives, public, materials, activities, and evaluation. (Author/AMH)

The instructional designer in language instruction can choose a central function (e.g., describing) and build a teaching unit around it. The process involves choosing a situation that best displays the core function, determining possible secondary functions, discussing the personalities involved, and determining the formality or familiarity of the…