Edinburgh Working Papers is intended to show a yearly cross-section of current work in Edinburgh's Department of Applied Linguistics and to elicit reactions and criticism. Papers in this compilation include the following: "Asymmetric Resetting of the Non-Empty Topic Parameter by Chinese-Speaking Learners of English"; "The…

A study assessed the effectiveness of three cognitive levels of instruction with first graders--three-dimensional (3-D) instruction using real objects, two-dimensional (2-D) instruction using picture representations, and verbal instruction. The study population included 18 first-grade students between the ages of 6 and 8 at a small elementary city…

Based in the belief that many preschool programs have an orientation toward a developmental philosophy yet are not developmentally appropriate in program practices, this discussion contrasts developmentally and psychometrically oriented approaches, reviews literature on program design and children's needs, and provides guidelines in the areas of…

A guide to teaching a course on the history of the nations of the Western Hemisphere is presented. The Western Hemisphere is one of the regions offered in the International Baccalaureate examination category of history; the International Baccalaureate is offered by the United Nations International School. The guide is divided into five sections:…

The Natural Approach to second language instruction has theoretical flaws and tends to reverse teaching methods that have been used successfully for many years. The approach exaggerates the presumed failure of previous language programs and ignores some important characteristics of children's language learning processes. It assumes that explicit…

Average salary increases for 937 faculty in the field of curriculum and instruction are reported for 1982-1983 and 1985-1986, as part of the College and University Personnel Association's annual faculty salary studies. Included are comparative data for 108,074 faculty at 174 public colleges and 193 private colleges, representing 41 academic…

A study investigated the relative effectiveness of two new teaching technologies, television and computers, as compared with traditional language laboratory instructional audiotapes in introductory Spanish. The dependent variables examined included the following: overall achievment level; reading, writing, and grammatical skills; and improved…

The status of different approaches to teaching business English in West Germany are explored, and it is concluded that business profiles, business situations, and the development of language skills must be considered in designing a business language course. The concept of interactive business competence in English and German as a basis for…

Data from three different teacher surveys are compared in a study of Paraguayan bilingual teacher attitudes on the choice of the language to be used in the classroom. The surveys were conducted in 1976, 1979, and 1986. Paraguay was chosen because of the stability of Guarani-Spanish bilingualism in that country and in its educational system. A…

The GO Project was created at Sacramento City College (SCC) to help underprepared students achieve success in a transfer-level sociology course, while improving their reading, writing, and study skills. Throughout the fall semester, students in the GO Project engaged in reading, essay writing, and study skills practice which focused on the…

Comparative research was conducted using gifted and average upper elementary and junior high school students to determine the effectiveness of utilizing microcomputers for the development of computer literacy and the implementation of curriculum courseware. Eighty students were selected as the treatment group and received instruction in the…

Average salary increases for 983 faculty in the field of curriculum and instruction are reported for 1983-1984 and 1986-1987, as part of the College and University Personnel Association's annual faculty salary studies. Included are comparative data for 120,580 faculty at 167 public colleges and 235 private colleges, representing 44 academic…

The views of biology department heads concerning the state of the art in program development were surveyed. A random sample of 132 biology department heads in state-supported colleges and universities responded to questions focusing on program development and curriculum aspects. The responses were compared to those of English, history, and…

Based on a population of 2,031 second and fifth grade students, ten classroom situations were studied for their relative effects on reading achievement. The relative merits of criterion versus norm-referenced tests also were examined. Data came from teacher questionnaires and student scores on multiple choice cloze tests (the criterion-referenced…

American and Canadian research is reviewed concerning the language needs of native primary students entering English schools from homes where a language other than English is spoken, and a study is reported that contrasted the language performance of children entering school from homes where only English is spoken and from homes where a language…