This article responds to Jordan and Gray's critique of the global coursebook and the call to have open, critical discussions about coursebook use in light of SLA research (Jordan and Gray 2019). I?make a case for why the assumptions made about what constitutes a global coursebook are too narrow. I?also dismiss the idea of one type of global…

The advocacy of task-based language teaching (TBLT) has met with resistance. The critiques of TBLT and the misconceptions that underlie them have already been addressed in Ellis (2009) and Long (2016). The purpose of this article is to move forward by examining a number of real problems that TBLT faces--such as how a "task" should be…

The time has come to create a realistic grammar syllabus in the beginning language courses. Yet why do some in the profession insist that all grammar must be taught in the first year of language learning? Abundant data from decades of research on topics such as human memory, chunking, and second language acquisition exist that overwhelmingly…

This article reports on a teacher-talk training course for Japanese primary school teachers, who are preparing to teach "communicative English" for the first time. The article argues that teacher-talk training is important for communicative classes with young students because most of the input and interaction is by default teacher…

This article presents the process of recent curricular revision and material development in English at the national level in India in a limited way. Teachers' needs and wants, their participation in the development of materials, the dilemmas of teachers and their implications for classroom transactions are discussed from the experiences of one of…

Argues that grading in the English-as-a-Foreign/International Language lexical syllabus takes place within the limitations of the basic area of English vocabulary. This is shown to be a consequence of the non-departure from "general interests: topics or topics that are deemed central to learning a target language. (Author/VWL)

A variety of units (e.g., word, structure, notion, function, and situation) are used in synthetic syllabi, but task has recently appeared as the unit of analysis in three primarily analytic, Type B alternatives: procedural, process, and task syllabi. Descriptions and limitations of each are presented. (138 references) (Author/LB)

Describes the rationale, careful development, and first offering of an ethics course in French based on the works of the Canadian writer Gabrielle Roy. The course encouraged students to read literature from a variety of perspectives and also helped them apply ethical theory and examples to their own situations and provided a way for them to…

Suggests the study of individual foreign language systems as an introductory step in the pursuit of a discipline of language. (AEA)

In response to Long and Crookes, Willis argues authors misunderstand the lexical syllabus (LS) as realized in Willis and Willis (1988). Long/Crookes reply that their article stressed need for focus on form in task-based language teaching and that there is a vast difference between focus on form and focus on forms, which Willis's adherence to an LS…

An author, David Nunan, responds to a previous article that criticizes his advocacy of task-based syllabuses. Another author, Michael Long, points out inaccuracies in the criticism, and the author of the criticism, Ron Sheen, defends his earlier claim. (45 references) (JL)

Describes a stand-alone course titled Using Computers in the Language Classroom that is offered in the master's in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program in an urban university in Southern California. This collaborative video project allows students to discover firsthand how computer technology can aid classroom learning.…

This article looks at the implications of the Culture Syllabus of the National Core French Study for Canadian French teachers. It also examines some of the suggestions made regarding how culture should be taught. (JL)

To ensure the success of English-as-a-Second-Language learners, teachers need to determine what each learner needs and wants to learn. This is done through needs analysis before, during, and after the course. The results of the assessment will result in the design of the syllabus. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the incorporation of German songs into language courses, suggesting that songs often provide students with a short, coherent, and authentic text. Provides a detailed account of the course development, and demonstrates that grammatical points are easily practiced and cultural messages are readily grasped through words and music.…