As part of the National Adult Literacy Survey in 12 states, approximately 1,250 adults in Iowa were surveyed as representatives of the 2.1 million adults in the state. The aim of the survey was to characterize literacy skills based on performance on diverse tasks that reflect the materials and demands that adults encounter every day. Fourteen to…

The Adult Migrant Education Service (AMES) of Victoria, Australia provides courses in English as a Second Language to non-English speaking migrants. Reviews currently under way are attempting to determine the effectiveness of this program and to find ways that might be used to help teachers assess the development of the students and to diagnose…

The demand for an improved international dimension in American education is a move in the right direction, and American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and Educational Testing Service efforts in defining foreign language proficiency guidelines and developing a reliable mechanism for testing oral proficiency have resulted in…

Florida is experiencing a renaissance in foreign language study through more substantial curriculum and admission and graduation requirements in secondary and higher education. The increase has resulted in a critical shortage of foreign language teachers, to which the state has responded with a program of incentives, financial aid, and rigorous…

Up to 10 percent of U.S. workers are either functionally illiterate or marginally literate. These workers increase the operational costs of their employers and restrain companies' flexibility. The high school graduates of the 1990s will exacerbate the problem by entering the work force with marginal literacy skills. A survey of 1,600 manufacturing…

This study looked at the use of a computer-based voice-interactive language learning system (VOXBOX) for teaching English as a Second Language. The intention of the study was to determine whether students who used VOXBOX as an exclusive instructional method could do as well as or better than students who used non-computerized, teacher-directed…

Despite the fact that American Sign Language (ASL) has no written component, it still may be possible for deaf students to develop English literacy skills. To assess the effects of ASL on the development of English, it is proposed that native, and possibly non-native, signers be educated in a bilingual minority-language immersion program which…

This study documented English acquisition by a group of Hmong adult immigrants over a period of one year, and explored the factors that appeared to be affecting their progress. Based on three measures (a test of listening comprehension, communication, fluency, reading, and writing; a pictured English vocabulary recognition test; and a written…

Interest in elementary school foreign language programs has resurfaced in recent years, and the number of programs is increasing. Many states are requiring foreign language study at the elementary level. For a local school or community seeking to implement elementary school language programs, it is important that a rationale be developed to meet…

A discussion of second language teaching techniques that appeal to adult students looks at general principles of motivation and how they may apply in specific classroom activities. Theories of motivation and human needs are examined, and the role of language in meeting communication needs is considered. Communication activities for developing…

Second language classroom techniques and activities promoting oral proficency are suggested and discussed. The suggestions are based on a course organization that focuses on basic communicative goals and uses frequent conversation between paired students. The activities include retelling partner responses and situational role-playing. Approaches…

Interpreting is an example of context-bound performance in which the interpreter has a prescribed role in infinitely varied contexts. The use of interpreting to train language students in confident and competent language use in less demanding contexts contributes to the development of both interpersonal skills and the ability to switch language…

Intended for language teachers who wish to learn how to program a computer to develop instructional materials, this paper specifically recommends the LOGO programming language for their needs. The core of the article consists of program examples and suggested activities in acquiring basic LOGO programming concepts, but it also includes a rationale…

In 1981, the Bilingual Placement and Monitoring Instructional Support System (BPMIS) Center in the School District of Lancaster (Pennsylvania) was established. Partially supported by Title VII funds, the Center provides comprehensive services to assure sound educational placement, continuous monitoring, successful transition into all…

A study was designed to assess French second language proficiency, native language skills, and academic achievement of students in an intensive French program in an English language school in Montreal. Subjects consisted of three groups of grade 4 and three groups of grade 5 students, each grade level having one group from the intensive French…