This paper argues that formal and explicit instruction and learners' prior knowledge play a crucial role in teaching and learning English as a second language (ESL), and that a pure communicative approach is inadequate in achieving optimum results. The discussion is presented in two parts. The first outlines the issues under consideration,…

This paper offers insights on how to facilitate student-student interaction in the science classroom. These insights derive from the education and the linguistics literature. Cooperative learning research offers a means of understanding what helps groups of students interact successfully. Systemic functional linguistics provides tools for…

This instructional guide in French is intended for training Peace Corps volunteers serving in the Central African Republic. It includes 35 topical units at the superior level, each consisting of briefly stated competency objectives and a number of brief, related situational texts. Unit topics include: explaining how to do something; explaining…

The series of articles in this volume were selected from among those presented at the 8th Annual International Conference on Pragmatics and Language Learning in April 1994. Articles include: "The Right Tool for the Job: Techniques for Analysis of Natural Language Use" (Georgia M. Green); "Sinclair & Coulthard Revisited: Global-…

This guide is designed for Luganda (Ganda) language training of Peace Corps workers in Uganda, and reflects daily communication needs in that context. It consists of an introduction on use of the materials and a series of topical instructional units addressing specific language competencies. Each unit includes the targeted competency and a…

This textbook is designed for use by Peace Corps volunteers learning Kirghiz in preparation for serving in Kirghizstan. It takes a competency-based approach to language learning, focusing on specific tasks the learner will need to accomplish through language. Some competencies are related to work tasks and others to survival needs or social…

Essays on the teaching of translation and on specialized translation, all in French, include: "Perspectives d'optimisation de la formation du traducteur: quelques reflexions" ("Perspectives on Optimization of Training of Translation Teachers: Some Reflections") (Egan Valentine); "L'enseignement de la revision…

Papers on applied linguistics and language pedagogy include: "Non-Exact Quantification in Slide Presentations of Medical Research" (Ron Howard); "Modality and Point of View: A Contrastive Analysis of Japanese Wartime and Peacetime Newspaper Discourse" (Noriko Iwamoto); "Classroom Transcripts and 'Noticing' in Teacher Education" (Tony Lynch);…

The workbook, with accompanying videotapes, is a complete English language course developed as a core text for an international teaching assistant training course. It is also useful as an independent study guide for foreign teaching professionals in North America who wish to improve their classroom communication skills. By watching the videos,…

This manual for Malagasy is designed for the specific language instruction needs of Peace Corps personnel working in Madagascar. It is written primarily in English and Malagasy, with introductory sections in French. It consists of 29 topical lessons, each geared to a specific domain and competency and containing information on needed materials,…

This paper describes one college-level English-as-a-Second-Language teacher's use of error analysis in an effort to understand students' problems with reading comprehension and writing. The research was undertaken in a Japanese junior college. Three studies are presented. In the first, 59 students in a general English course listed sentences they…

Selected papers on second language acquisition and instruction from the University of Wisconsin at Madison symposium include the following: "Learning and Teaching: The Necessary Intersection" (Susan M. Gass); "Reenvisioning the Second Language Classroom: A Vygotskian Approach" (Linda Schinke-Llano); "The FOCAL SKILLS…

The textbook for Mongolian is designed for the language training of Peace Corps volunteers serving in Mongolia, and intended for use with an instructor. Each lesson is based on a specific language use competency, and lessons are organized according to ten themes. Lessons contain a dialogue, vocabulary, grammar notes, supplementary vocabulary in…

This volume presents seven papers on topics about second language instruction, language research, and applied linguistics. titles include: "Grammar and Its Teaching: Challenging the Myths" (Diane Larsen-Freeman); "Cross-Cultural Writing and Rhetorical Styles: Toward a 'Socially Realistic' Contrastive Rhetoric" (Yamuna Kachru); "Mother, I'd Rather…

Papers on applied linguistics and language pedagogy include: "A Genre Analysis Study of 80 Medical Abstracts" (Kenneth Anderson, Joan Maclean); "Oral Classroom Testing in an Adult French Community Class" (Sheena Davies, Aileen Irvine, Jacqueline Larrieu); "Whose Relevance? Interpretation of Hybrid Texts by a Multiple…