A study was conducted to determine the extent to which listening comprehension is impaired when students are confronted with the colloquial use of French, as opposed to its formal use. It was found that amoung 128 prospective French teachers who participated in the study, there existed a low comprehension level of colloquial French, a discrepancy…

The purpose of this text is to develop elementary conversational skills in Telugu. The language materials consist of four types of language learning activities. The first, and most predominant, is the unit microwave cycle. These cycles divide the learning process into two basic phases, the first of which involves mimicry, memorization, and…

This article describes an attempt to give university students of English as a second language instruction in writing literary essays. The students were given literary commentaries to listen to in the language laboratory, and then were asked to summarize these commentaries, using, as much as possible, the structures contained in the original…

This article deals with the issue of gaining proficiency in oral expression in a second language. A functional approach to teaching oral proficiency is outlined, an approach which focuses on the audience as a determining factor in the speaker's linguistic output. Claims in the article are based on an experiment in the teaching of oral proficiency…

This article considers the issue of the application of linguistic theory and knowledge about the way language functions to second language teaching. It is suggested that this application should be carried out by taking into account educational factors, such as the intended audience, the teaching methods, and the educational objectives. The choice…

This paper questions the purpose of testing in second language instruction. Comments are based on an examination of tests used by the Defense Language Institute for students of English as a second language. Two kinds of tests are used: the English Comprehension Level (ECL), used primarily as a basis for setting exit requirements, and "Book…

The theme of this issue of ELT Documents is the use of the language laboratory in language learning. An article by A. Maley summarizes the conference on the use of the language laboratory for advanced learners, held in Paris, 2-4 Oct. 1974, from which two main perspectives emerged. One is critical of the structuralist audio-lingual assumptions…

This is a text intended for use with adult beginning classes in ESL in a 15-week intensive course. The major objective of the text is to develop communicative competence. Therefore, the structures are taught through mechanical drills, meaningful drills, and finally communicative drills, so that "teacher talk" is gradually diminished and "student…

This report integrates instructional materials and concepts on the teaching of culture in foreign language classes in three major areas. Part 1 deals with the description of sociocultural concepts of Spanish peoples with emphasis on the basic features of Latin American Culture including: (1) the family, (2) family events, (3) social peculiarities,…

Objectives in the teaching of modern languages are enumerated, and their bearing on content and methodology is pointed out. Practical (communication), educational, cultural, and formative objectives are identified and their appropriateness for different educational levels and teaching conditions is discussed. References to second language learning…

One hundred and twenty-two readings from sources published between 1900 and 1947 cover aspects of language teaching in the United States. Chapters on the history of modern language teaching and on programs, projects, and activities are particularly lengthy. Other chapters discuss values of foreign language study, foreign language in the general…

This article reviews the historical development of applied linguistics in foreign language instruction. Five major principles influencing early applied linguistic theory are summarized, emphasizing the oral nature of language. Central to the article are discussions of: (1) prescriptive or normative grammar, (2) transformational grammar, (3)…

This UNESCO source book concerns the development of the teaching of English as the language of instruction in English-speaking Africa with particular attention to the problems of the secondary school course. It is intended primarily for African educators in senior positions who have not had a chance to receive formal training in teaching English…

This book reports on the Soviet Union's general, secondary, polytechnical schools which have been established recently to teach students to use one foreign language with fluency or near fluency. The author first discusses the long-range and immediate objectives of these special schools. Marxist-Leninist theory and its influence on contemporary…

This quarterly newsletter includes a variety of articles on the teaching of English as a second language. The first article discusses the use of the enquiry method and problem solving as classroom procedures. This approach involves the development of four cognitive processes: framing questions, imposing order on data, making extrapolations, and…