Identifies ten of the most problematic grammatical constructions in Spanish based on an examination of selected elementary and advanced Spanish textbooks, consultation with students, high school teachers and colleagues, and professional judgment. (Author/VWL)

Examined use of the World Wide Web to teach Francophone culture. Suggests that bolstering reading comprehension in the foreign language and increased proficiency in navigating the Web are potential secondary benefits gained from the cultural Web-based activities proposed in the study.(Author/VWL)

Foreign language educators need creative tools to empower students to make the languages they are learning truly their own. One such new instrument well worth inventive appropriation in Asia is the European Language Portfolio (ELP), launched by the Council of Europe in 2001. This report focuses on the three parts of ELP--a language passport,…

Reviews the success of communicative language teaching in the context of language acquisition theory and research findings. Argues that a fairly limited use of communicative principles has been evident in popular treatments of lesson structure, content, and syllabus design. (Author/VWL)

Discusses how to help English-as-a-Second-Language learners develop effective listening skills. Suggests a process for helping ESL learners develop their listening skills and makes suggestions for how this might be achieved with authentic materials. (VWL)

Presents a psycholinguistically motivated type of grammar instruction called processing instruction to show how learners can be pushed to make form-meaning connections as they attempt to process three grammatical structures in French: obligatory use of "de/d'' with a negative after "avoir"; French subjunctive; and French causative. (Author/VWL)

Sets out 11 principles that relate second language teaching to more general theoretical perspectives on teaching. (Author/VWL)

Explores the concept and role of intensity in the research project on Intensive Core French in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Illustrates the relationship between second language learning and the development of cognitive, social, and personal capacities and organizational skills. Argues that the type of strategies used in second…

Suggests that grammar teaching should go beyond syntax and morphology and concern itself with a more careful observation of meta-grammatical phenomena. Advocates that an instrumental view of grammar should be supplemented with an integral view of language. The ultimate aim is to make learners aware of the way a language works. (Author/VWL)

Describes reasons for the difficulty nonnative speakers of English have in acquiring the English article system and reviews five pedagogical methods for teaching it. Discusses results of a pilot study in which three groups of nonnative English speakers were taught the English article system using either information structure as a framework, by a…

Describes an instructional activity designed to provide a creative opportunity through which students of a foreign language may practice by narrating past actions. The activity, as described, is designed for a beginning-level class, but modifications will allow its use for more advanced training. (GLR)

Discusses the need for the use of literature as a resource in the LOTE classroom, and examines the poem "Dejeuner du Matin" by Jacques Prevert as an example of a rich source of thought-provoking language and how language is arranged. (GLR)

Examines three curriculum models for teaching second languages. Each model represents a particular form of teaching, either analytic "skill-getting" (microlanguage learning), experiential "skill-using" (macrolanguage use), or a combination of the two. (57 references) (GLR)

Lack of knowledge of learning psychology is the underlying reason for failure in second language learning. The highest cognitive step is not given the required attention. The unanswered question is whether an institutional setting allows for this, or whether an immersion program should be a mandatory complement to any program. (MSE)

Delineates curricular, empirical, and pedagogical frameworks of content and media-based approaches to teaching German. Specifically, the historical and contemporary dimension of popular music lyrics as a barometer of society are highlighted, and classroom procedures for presenting them are suggested. (23 references) (GLR)