The history of pronunciation in English language teaching is a study in extremes. Some approaches to teaching, such as the "reformed method" and "audiolingualism", elevated pronunciation to a pinnacle of importance, while other approaches, such as the "cognitive movement" and early "communicative language teaching," mostly ignored pronunciation.…

The study of how learners acquire a second language (SLA) has helped to shape thinking about how to teach the grammar of a second language. There remain, however, a number of controversial issues. This paper considers eight key questions relating to grammar pedagogy in the light of findings from SLA. As such, this article complements…

Interest in foreign-language instruction in preschool is growing, both among parents and early-childhood educators trying to meet the demand. The interest, though, comes at a time when some districts are scaling back on such programs in the elementary grades in order to spend more time on reading and mathematics--the subjects currently tested to…

Students can be provided opportunities to build both English and mathematical proficiency through reading, discussing and extending mathematics-related books. The experience of a teacher through which she expanded her instructional use of mathematics-related literature is described, which was equally valuable for English Language Learners and…

This practitioner issue brief outlines successful strategies and recommendations for state-level policymakers, administrators, schools, and districts that are based on a 5-year evaluation study on the learning environment for ELLs in the state of California. This brief offers four critical building blocks that should be in place to effectively…

This qualitative study examines perceptions and use of assignment feedback among adult beginner modern foreign language learners on higher education distance learning courses. A survey of responses to feedback on assignments by 43 Open University students on beginner language courses in Spanish, French, and German indicated that respondents can be…

The book is linked to the annual theme of the 2008 CAERDA International Conference with contributing authors serving as keynote speakers, invited panelists, paper presenters, as well as specialists and educators in the field. The book provides a most comprehensive description of and a theoretically well informed and a scholarly cogent account of…

In this practitioners' guide, a recognized reading expert explains how educators, parents, and concerned citizens can spot ineffective reading programs that may hide under the "scientifically-based" banner. Although the term "whole language" is not commonly used today, programs based on its premises remain popular. These…

This research has been done to find out the factors influencing the students' successes in learning a foreign language (English). In other words; the effects of the methods and techniques, used by the teachers on the staff to teach the chosen foreign language, on the students' success. The main aim of this study to make the foreign language…

These English as a Second Language (ESL) Content Standards were developed to accommodate the local conditions Pennsylvania's ESL students and teachers face across the state and to align state standards with the National Reporting System Educational Functioning Levels. The standards are designed as a teaching tool in the development of…

As the number of English language learners in mainstream classrooms increases, all educators will need a basic understanding of second language acquisition as well as a working knowledge of instructional strategies that are particularly effective for these students. This issue of "Focus On" discusses second language acquisition and ways to…

In 2004, in response to the need to revise oral practice and assessment in the second semester of Beginners French at Monash University, an eight-week group-based theatre project was developed and trialled. A specially adapted version of Tardieu's absurdist play "Le Guichet" was used to give students the opportunity to focus on oral…

This paper outlines the ongoing construction of a speech corpus for use by applied linguists and advanced EFL/ESL students. In the first part, sections 1-4, the need for improvements in the teaching of listening skills and pronunciation practice for EFL/ESL students is noted. It is argued that the use of authentic native-to-native speech is…

This paper is a descriptive summary of a research project on blended learning in the Faculty of Arts at the University Complutense Madrid. The project was conducted as action research in 2002-06 by the research group LEETHi. LEETHi's projects focus on the teaching of literature from an intercultural perspective while helping to develop new media…

Linguistic minority students in schools must acquire and operate in a second language while negotiating mainstream texts and content areas, along with negotiating an emerging new sense of social identity. This article presents journal data from an Australian ethnographic study that explored the relationship between second-language use, textual…