Five papers from a conference designed to examine current and emerging practices for promoting literacy among second language learners of English are presented. The unifying theme of cultural pluralism covers a variety of topics: positive attitudes toward reading, schema theory, teachers' verbal interaction strategies, the assumption that children…

The test manual for the Secondary Level English Proficiency (SLEP) test has been prepared for teachers, counselors, and others responsible for interpreting SLEP test scores. The SLEP is designed to assess the proficiency in English of students entering grades 7 through 12 whose native language is not English. As a test of understanding written and…

A review of literature relating to the use of Hawaiian pidgin and standard English and their relationship to school achievement was undertaken in response to concerns regarding state educational policy for language use and proficiency. The research reviewed includes pidgin and creole studies, second language acquisition research, and studies of…

The purposes of this directory of existing industry-based training programs--for limited English-proficient (LEP) adults employed in those industries--are as follows: (1) to provide a sense of the types of existing industry-based programs available to LEP employees; (2) to identify programs with the potential of implementing bilingual vocational…

This compilation of four issues of the Japan Association of Language Teachers Journal (JALT) covers the years 1982-1984. The four issues contain a total of 21 articles, as follows: "Communicative Needs in Foreign Language Learning" (Jack C. Richards); "Language Proficiency Interview Testing" (David J. Keitges);…

Several research and evaluation studies completed in bilingual education programs for language minority children in Canada are presented to support the claim that heritage, or first, language (HL) literacy plays an important role in the acquisition of a third language. A study completed by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education…

Reports on a study of barriers to success in learning English as a second language (ESL). The study incorporates data gathered from case studies of two Korean children (aged five and seven years), from the results of writing and reading tests of English administered to academically successful Korean high school students, and from the language…

The instructional settings and teacher-learner relationships observed in English-as-a-second-language classes at the secondary and university levels in Poland by an American senior Fulbright lecturer are characterized by very formal instruction with heavy emphasis on pronunciation and grammar exercises, large classes with little opportunity for…

The essays in this volume cover a range of sociopolitical aspects of Indian language planning (i.e., the politics of dialect, the role of the linguist, and the historical foundations of contemporary language problems), problems faced by the actual experiences of Indian language renewal efforts, and the relationship of Indian language renewal and…

A teacher training packet (student's edition) on assessment of students in bilingual programs, is directed to undergraduate and graduate students and inservice participants. In addition to state-of-the-art reviews, the packet contains: a course syllabus, a pretest and answer key, a glossary, learning objectives, a list of recommended readings,…

A teacher training packet (teacher's edition) on assessment of students in bilingual programs, is directed to undergraduate and graduate students and inservice participants. In addition to state-of-the-art reviews, the packet contains: a course syllabus, a pretest and answer key, a glossary, learning objectives, a list of recommended readings,…

This article discusses the incompatibility between the goal of communicative competence (defined more narrowly as minimal approximative communicative competence) and current practices of syllabus design, and suggests more relevant alternatives. Foreign language instruction is still dominated by the teaching of language structure for its own sake,…

From a consideration of variability in language-learner and language-user data, the concept of proficiency is considered in relation to models of second and foreign language learning. Proficiency is defined in relation to four separate dimensions: grammatical well-formedness, speech-act rules, functional elaboration, and code diversity. This…

This paper discusses a systematic strategy for developing oral skills from situational readings in a first year foreign language course. Aspects considered are: sequencing readings into the course, grammar component, vocabulary component, student preparation, outline of two day instructional treatments, the role of the teacher, and student…

A description is presented of forty classroom-tested activities for motivating students to practice listening comprehension and speaking skills in any foreign language. Some of the activities include practical suggestions and follow-up activities. All the activities are preceded by a statement of purpose, categorized by proficiency levels…