In a non-immersion, preschool world language program, what learning outcomes are reasonable to expect? Since exposure to and engagement with new languages is typically limited in these so-called "low-input" programs, we should anticipate no more than modest gains in linguistic proficiency. Rather, early childhood language programs can,…

The main goal of this study was to interview Arabic women students at Spring International Language Center to record their perceptions, rationale, goals, stories, and opinions about learning English in a U.S. language school. This research was conducted to understand the purposes and goals of Arabic women who come to the United Stated to study the…

This paper investigates the development of academic language proficiency through immersion in middle school programmes in Hong Kong and Xi'an. The study reveals that in both contexts students have exposure to complex academic language through teacher talk and textbooks; however, there is not sufficient support for students' academic language use…

This mixed methods study investigated the English verbal interactions of seven 3rd-6th grade beginning level English language learners across three different instructional settings: the mainstream grade level classroom, the sheltered English classroom, and the ELL pullout group. The quantitative component of the study documented significant…

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the existing literature on the foreign language learning of students with LLDs by conducting a comprehensive investigation of the performance of three students in middle school foreign language classes in a suburban school district in southwestern Pennsylvania. More specifically, this study documents…

A study of the child's experience in learning a second language as it is embedded in his experience of kindergarten looks at two classes of unilingual (English-speaking) Canadian children in a half-day French immersion program. The immersion experience for the children is described in these terms: what "French" means to them; what and how they…

Issues in children's language learning, particularly as it relates to learning English as a Second Language (ESL), are discussed. The book is intended as a practical resource for regular or ESL teachers. The first chapter looks at the processes by which and conditions in which children become bilingual, both at home and in school. The second…

The following essays are included: (1) "Futurism in Foreign Language Learning" by Frank M. Grittner and Percy B. Fearing; (2) "Humanism in Learning Foreign Languages" by Samuel L. Lieberman; (3) "Objectives for New Programs: A Thematic Approach in Second Language Learning" by Helen L. Jorstad; (4)…

This report presents a description and evaluation of the MacMagic Program, a computer-facilitated core program in language arts and social studies in its fourth year of operation at Davidson Middle School in San Rafael, California. The program consists of two sixth- and two seventh-grade classrooms that use computers and cooperative learning…

A 1996-97 survey of 1,534 elementary and 1,650 secondary schools across the United States, both public and private, investigated current patterns in foreign language enrollment, languages and programs offered, curriculum design and content, teaching methods, teacher qualifications and training, and response to national reform issues. The study was…

A bibliography on English language teaching to native Chinese-speakers contains 130 citations of journal articles, books, and other publications on a variety of topics, including language processing, material development, instructional techniques, language teaching and learning research, linguistic theory, cultural context and differences,…

Essays on cross-cultural elements in college and university programs in English as a Second Language (ESL) include the following: "Barriers to Cross-Cultural Communication in English-as-a-Second-Language Programs in the United States"; "Acculturation or Enculturation: Foreign Students in the United States"; "A Framework…

A 1996-97 national survey of elementary and secondary schools investigated current patterns and shifts in foreign language enrollment, languages and programs offered, teaching methodologies, teacher qualifications and training, and reactions to national reform issues. An introductory section of the survey report offers background information on…

This handbook provides guidelines and forms for evaluating second language teachers' performance and second language programs. The first section, which addresses the supervision and evaluation of language teachers, outlines basic principles (supervisory goals, evaluator attitudes, supervisory visits, and follow-up conferences), gives instructions…

The collection of articles from publications of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) offers a theoretical basis for construction of effective English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs. Articles address issues of national policy, content and design of academic programs, and the context for ESL learning. They are:…