Teachers are urged to improve their teaching through the effective use of pattern drills by examining the construction and function of the drills. Forty-eight questions with answers elaborate upon generalities and technicalities of drill design and their classroom use. (RL)

This guide discusses problems that have developed in language programs of long sequence and particularly focuses on possibilities for instruction at Levels 4 and 5. The publication, designed for foreign language teachers, school administrators, and teacher training institutions seeks to strengthen foreign language programs by developing an…

Collected articles on the teaching of Russian in England acknowledge the importance of increased study opportunities based on modern language instruction methodology. Individual papers treat: (1) the purpose of teaching modern languages in schools, (2) the approach to language learning in educational institutions, (3) the role of the mother tongue…

This address examines the personal experiences and attitudes of a language teacher during the 1960's, exploring the then commonly held notions of "creativity" with a view toward stimulating professional reappraisal of the term and its pedagogical implications. The author suggests that the notion of the teacher "guiding creativity" must yield to a…

This conference report contains a keynote address by Dr. Howard Altman, entitled "Individualizing Foreign Language Instruction: Theoretical and Practical Considerations," and five reports of the conference group sessions. Reports include: (1) "Techniques for Implementing Individualized Instruction," (2) "Performance Objectives," (3) "Developing…

This study is designed to compare "traditional" and "immersion" methods of language instruction to determine whether the latter is a viable alternative in four-year, secondary-school language programs. Both methods are evaluated on the basis of student achievement in comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills in Spanish. The hypothesis…

Observing that the use of the language laboratory has declined during recent years, the author proceeds to explore ways in which interest in language study may be revived and how foreign language instruction may be made more relevant. Discussion of the cognitive-code learning theory and of individualized instruction suggests the use of the…

This study determines the preference of professional school faculty for associative, replicative, interpretive, and applicative uses of knowledge, and it compares those preferences to those expressed by arts and science faculty. Relationships of use of knowledge preferences to curriculum and instruction decisions are shown. Faculty from four…

Excellent teachers base their actions in the classroon on a system of beliefs that help them to choose logically between various posible actions. Beliefs are formed from personal experiences, education, and values. They are a major determinant of behavior as teachers respond to questions and make classroom decisions. Teachers' beliefs are often…

In 1988, the Johns Hopkins Center for Research on Elementary and Middle Schools conducted a survey of over 1,700 middle school principals. This survey was part of an effort to analyze the content and skills that middle grades students are taught, the instructional methods through which they are taught, and the influences of school, community, and…

This report presents the results of the School Utilization Study (SUS) sponsored by the Center for Statistics and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in 1982-83, which surveyed a sample of 2,700 teachers from schools across the nation to obtain information both on ways in which computers are being used by teachers in public and private…

A review of a three-day conference on language teaching policies, methods, instructional materials, and teacher training in Canada is presented in this report. Articles and commentary focus on: (1) Canada's needs in language teaching, (2) language programs in the United Kingdom, United States, and the Soviet Union, (3) research in teaching…

Discussion focuses on the widespread alienation of students from the foreign language experience while referring to methodological factors underlying this syndrome and to the uncertainty of the status that foreign language instruction has today in the classroom. A causal relationship is suggested to exist between students' alienation and the…

A representative six-year foreign language curriculum (grades 7-12) is analyzed and noted to be based on several underlying principles. Difficulties which arise from rigid adherence to certain methodological principles are discussed, particularly those concerning the relationship between audiolingual and writing skills. Suggestions on ways to…

The establishment and direction of discussion groups, using tapes as a reference and vocabulary guide, in a sixth-grade class having a previous preparation of two years of daily French instruction are described. Grouping by fluency, choice of group leaders, and the discovery of problems and solutions through the eyes of group leaders are also…