These curricular units are designed to help Spanish students or bilingual students gain a better understanding of the history, geography, and culture of Nicaragua, Wisconsin's "sister state" in Central America. In its entirety, the bulletin can serve as the basis of a cultural mini-course. However, since each section is a self-contained…

Concepts pertaining to the language laboratory are clarified for the layman unfamiliar with recent educational developments in foreign language instruction. These include discussion of: (1) language laboratory components and functions, (2) techniques used in the laboratory, (3) new linguistic methods, (4) laboratory exercises, (5) traditional…

The purpose of this study was to review some of the criteria given by linguists for the development of language materials and to present a case for error analysis as a major criterion in the preparation of materials for the teaching of writing skills to Iranian freshman students. Chapter one reviews the major events and landmarks bearing upon the…

This final report examines the nature and contents of a federally-supported program to improve language and social studies instruction in the secondary schools of Minneapolis through the interaction of the teaching staff and the students with a professional, educational consultant from Germany. General objectives included: developing multi-media…

This guide is a companion document to the revised "Second Language Standard Course for Study," which was approved by the North Carolina State Board of Education in November 1999. It was designed to address needs that were identified by teachers and supervisors during the curriculum development process. The guide is divided into three…

An interactive video project for second language instruction is described. Using television news broadcasts, the educational software package can also be used for area or media studies. Prototypes have been developed for English and German instruction. The program is designed to support learner comprehension of authentic news broadcasts by…

A model of literacy instruction for limited-English-proficient (LEP) adults is described that is designed to increase effective parent involvement in children's education. Through the implementation of this model, LEP parents acquire language and parenting skills that allow them to participate more fully in their child's educational process. The…

The proceedings of the workshop on the interface between humans and machines in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) include the texts of four papers, descriptions of the software demonstrated, an information exchange section, a report of the plenary session, a comment on the workshop, a list of participants, a review of current research in…

An examination of materials development for independent study in listening comprehension of English as a second language (ESL) begins with an outline of current directions in second language instruction. The discussion that follows has two parts. The first is a review of some changing perspectives on the role of listening in language learning and…

A curriculum development project undertaken by English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers resulted in a major reorientation to reading instruction for adult ESL students. The course uses materials, often developed by the teachers, that systematically address reading problems, ongoing revision, and student interests. (Author/CB)

Presents a method for classifying errors of second language learners for the purpose of: (1) evaluating information in samples of students' communication, (2) diagnosing individual learner needs, (3) developing individualized instructional materials, and (4) deciding which errors to correct first. Suggests applications of the method in…

Argues that when the principles of engineering are applied to development of computer-assisted language learning software, resulting products are more reliable, easier to maintain, and easier to modify later. Those principles were used in developing the Elementary Language Study Exerciser, a program that drills students and corrects their written…

This paper discusses the ways in which pictures in current German magazine advertisements can be employed as effective visual aids in basic grammar drills. The structures discussed here are the reflexive verb construction and two aspects of the passive voice construction, namely the passive to indicate activity-as-such and the contrast between the…

This teacher's guide outlines how to prepare foreign language brochures using cultural themes. The four brochures given as examples are based on the "world" theme, the "career" theme, the "yes" theme, and the "school logo" theme. Instructions on how to make each brochure include details on how to design the cover, how to introduce the theme, and…

The changing situation in the world and in academia requires a new perspective on priorities for Slavic language instructional materials. For example, courses must be developed that concentrate on reading skills, the main skill today's students of Slavic languages generally require. Materials needed for Slavic languages can be grouped into 16…