This paper describes the basic features of a collaborative writing exercise used to help 40 English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) students write reader-based prose. It presents an actual study that examined the use of collaborative writing to help students draft reader-based prose in intermediate and advanced EFL composition classes at the…

This article reviews the development of interactive business letters as a form of peer review of writing, presents the activities's general operation, and discusses its benefits by presenting examples of actual student peer reviews from the International Trade Institute graduate school in Taiwan. Rather than have students read and critique each…

The first of two volumes, this packet contains four learning exploration activities that hospital workers can use in a classroom setting to improve their reading skills. The instructor's manual contains information about reading instruction, teaching suggestions, and a pre- and post-evaluation, along with a syllabus for the 13-week course that…

The second of two volumes, this packet contains seven learning exploration activities that hospital workers can use in a classroom setting to improve their reading skills. The instructor's manual contains information about reading instruction and teaching suggestions. In the student workbook are activities designed to help students learn…

Anecdotal evidence from teachers who teach in bilingual or second language settings indicates that there is a potential for loss of subject matter. This loss is particularly troubling within the context of science learning. This article reviews several projects aimed at developing an understanding of the implications of bilingual instruction in…

A study investigated the extent to which native speakers (NSs) and non-native speakers (NNSs) of Portuguese understand implicatures in Brazilian television commercials in Portuguese. Subjects were nine Brazilian graduate students and 11 American students of Portuguese at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. Correct inference of the…

The All-Day Kindergarten (ADK) Program was implemented in the Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools in January 1972 to provide a full day of instruction to prepare underachieving kindergarten pupils for first grade. The ADK is an individualized, language-based program that reinforces the skills, concepts, and educational experiences taught in the regular…

The Full-Day Kindergarten (FDK) Program was implemented in selected Columbus (Ohio) Public Schools to improve students' level of achievement by providing an additional half day of kindergarten. This extra half day gave pupils time to participate in more language enrichment activities and more group learning. Activities were designed to: (1)…

This paper is rooted in an expanded view of construct validity, whereby the role of testers does not end in the development phase of the language tests they employ. Rather, testers need to follow the uses of these tests and examine issues of utility, relevance, ethics, and interpretation. The studies reported here focused on three national…

The instructional validity of computer administered tests was studied with a focus on whether differences in test scores and item behavior are a function of instructional mode (computer versus non-computer). In the first of 3 studies, performance test scores for approximately 400 high school students in 1990-91 for tasks accomplished with the…

The effects of strategy fading and progress feedback on children's achievement outcomes were investigated. Forty-four fifth graders with reading-skills deficiencies from 2 elementary schools received instruction on locating main ideas. Children were taught and verbalized a strategy, and some faded the verbalizations to inner speech. Half of the…

Some methodological issues in the study of levels of knowledge are reviewed, and needs for further research are explored, drawing on an analysis of 12 studies reported since the late 1970s. In the 12 studies, 16 quantitative experiments were conducted. These were assessed for internal and external validity. Analysis revealed some shortcomings in…

Developed as part of a project to upgrade the workplace vocabulary and comprehension skills of Pennsylvania workers in light industry, health, hotel and hospitality, and food service occupations, this document consists of four parts: a project report, a trainer's manual, a tutor handbook, and assessment report/resource packet. The project report…

This study examined whether preservice teachers can infer the major concepts that a subject uses in his or her thinking on complex problems if the subject thinks out loud. Twenty-six students in a teacher certification program, 17 college graduates with 5 years of full-time work experience, and 16 college graduates with 10 years of full-time work…

A study investigated the English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) listening comprehension strategies used by university students in Taiwan. The subjects, 51 freshmen at National Yunlin University of Science and Technology with a low-intermediate level of English language skills, were administered a test of listening comprehension (questions appended)…