Lessons designed to teach reading and listening typically concentrate on the use of higher-level skills and strategies, such as predicting, scanning, inferencing, understanding text structure, or activating background knowledge. Given that these normal communication skills are already available to students for mother-tongue use, they should…

This study presents a list of the highest frequency collocations of spoken English based on carefully applied criteria. In the literature, more than forty terms have been used for designating multi-word units, which are generally not well defined. To avoid this confusion, six criteria are strictly applied. The ten million word BNC spoken section…

Discusses the types of structures that may follow a particular verb in English and attempts some generalization that may be helpful in the English as a second language classroom. (EKN)

Discusses dictionaries for learners of English as a foreign language and reveals typical problems of syntactic complexity, idiomaticity, and cultural specificity that inappropriate explanations and examples may pose for learners. (Author/VWL)

Six brief articles discuss these aspects of language instruction: contrasting the imperative "let" with other imperative forms; distinguishing between perfect and nonperfect tenses in English; the various functions a question can perform; use of humor to illustrate language quirks; learning appropriate uses of count versus noncount nouns; and…

Presents one viewpoint regarding the teaching of irregularities of language structure in courses on English as a Second Language, particularly irregularities of morphology and syntax. It is argued that the vocabulary and morphology of English could be simplified if certain constraints were removed and proposes that certain common language patterns…

Examines the range of conditional sentences which appear in English in contrast to the restricted selection of conditionals usually presented to foreign students. Sample exercises for identifying types of conditionals and determining appropriate conditional structures are provided. (Author/LMO)

Most composition texts categorize cohesive devices according to function, ignoring their semantic and syntactic restrictions, and giving the idea they can be used interchangeably. More effective strategies are suggested for presenting these links, including methods of teaching both intrasentence connections and the linking of larger units of…

The use of poetry is recommended in language classes to develop both students' knowledge of English and their appreciation of literature. Poem extracts are presented that illustrate features of phonology, vocabulary, grammar, meaning, colloquialisms, and style. (MSE)

Attempts to help teachers deal with English articles causing problems with English-as-a-Second-Language learners, particularly when the mother tongue of the learner has no equivalents. The discussion focuses on whether "a" and "the" should be taught and then looks at a description that may provide a relevant starting point for a reappraisal. (14…