"Micro-contos," or micro-fiction, are very short and concise literary texts that require close-reading and inference from the reader. In this case study, I will describe how I have used these widely available texts in a Portuguese A2/B1 language module to develop analytical and other soft skills. I will demonstrate how this activity…

This paper reports on the development of constructive EAP CALL courseware, and its integration into blended learning contexts, as a solution to the problems in EAP courses in Chinese universities. A case study of a defining skills package, developed for undergraduates at the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), is used to…

The Cara Syria Programme has been developed to support Syrian academics who have had to abandon their academic positions due to the conflict in Syria and who have seen their careers compromised as a result. The Programme offers a means to re-establish their academic identities and develop new skills through participation in the learning activities…

English, particularly regarding a foreign language teachers' professional development, has been studied in depth. However, it is not known how Iranian English as a foreign language teachers perceive continuing professional development. This study explored the perceptions of Iranian English as a foreign language teachers of continuing professional…

Even though there are a plethora of CALL materials available to EFL teachers nowadays, very limited attention has been directed toward the issue that most EFL teachers are merely the consumers of CALL materials. The main challenge is to equip EFL teachers with the required CALL materials development skills to enable them to be contributors to CALL…

Perspectives on and methods in second language teaching have changed rapidly during the past 10 years. So also have the role and function of the language laboratory and the laboratory instructor. One area of concern, listening, has been somewhat neglected; generally it has been taught toward the end of increasing speaking proficiency. A review of…

While most people know how conversations, narratives, and other types of discourse are created in their native language, it is difficult for students to know how they are created in a second language. To deal with texts in a new language, the learner needs extensive exposure to a variety of language in realistic situations. The immediate recall…

Discusses how songs can be used to motivate students in the English-as-a-foreign-language classroom. Songs develop students' language abilities in listening, speaking, reading, and writing and can be used to teach sentence patterns, vocabulary, pronunciation, rhythm, adjective, adverbs, and so on. Learning English through songs also provides a…

A discussion of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction begins with a review of the English language teaching situation in Singapore today and goes on to examine issues in the production of ESL instructional materials. The focus is on oral language instruction. The first section, concerning Singapore, outlines the structure of syllabuses…

The principles of design of instructional materials for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) to be taught in a non-English-speaking country are outlined, and the development of materials for an Indonesian program is described. ESP materials design is tied closely to the specific subject areas of language use and the types of learners addressed.…

A teaching guide and series of exercises for high-intermediate or advanced English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction based on the movie "Witness" are presented. The materials are designed primarily to develop English listening and speaking skills and enhance awareness of American culture and the criminal justice system. The teaching…

This report describes an instructional material development project designed to promote a more holistic concept of second language instruction, embracing nonverbal as well as verbal communication. Initially designed for French instruction and later produced for German, the project had as a concrete goal to produce a distributable version of a…

This handbook provides vocational teachers with some ideas, strategies, and resources for working effectively with limited English-proficient (LEP) students in their classrooms. The handbook includes four basic sections: (1) suggested teacher competencies, (2) instructional strategies, (3) instructional resources, and (4) reference documents. A…

This guide is a catalog of adult education English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) materials, covering literacy, citizenship, and life-coping skills. It is intended to serve the needs of adult education ESL instructors and supervisors. The catalog is organized in three sections. Section I consists of evaluations of 27 instructional systems. Information…

An English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) program for adults is outlined that uses a local newspaper as a source of instructional material. The course uses transitional listening and speaking activities that lead to literacy (reading and writing) components. The teaching guide is modular, enabling the teacher to select the most appropriate module for…