A classroom-based ethnographic study investigated the use of process writing techniques with English as a second language (ESL) writers. The primary purpose of the study was to establish a context where the strategies and methodologies that have been generated by the last 15 years of research on the composing process of native speakers could be…

Past perceptions of the role of grammar in the second language syllabus have been limited by the attitude that grammatical content should be addressed directly in the language classroom and that it is limited to language items and rules with definable boundaries. However, language has properties crucial to its use for communication that are not…

Progress in second language instruction requires both new materials and a change in teacher attitudes, but the materials are easier to come by than the attitude change. The paper describes classroom exchanges occurring in two lessons given in Austrian sixth and eighth grade English classes respectively that illustrate the differences between a…

The use of videotapes in college-level Hebrew instruction is discussed. A distinction is made between (1) prerecorded materials, commercially produced or educational, and (2) student-produced programs. The advantages, problems, and purposes of the use of each type of tape are explored. An introductory level instructional tape series and commercial…

An overview is provided of the history of English as a second language (ESL) instruction, including a discussion of second language acquisition and the characteristics of ESL instructors and students. The first sections provide an overview of the major language learning methodologies that have been most often associated with the adult as a…

In English as a second language/English as a foreign language classrooms where teacher-fronted instruction is still the norm, small group work tends to be avoided because conversational activities among nonnative speakers are generally thought to be of little use. The validity of small-group work among nonnative speakers is defended with both…

A discussion of the practice and theory in the teaching of language for specific purposes (LSP) focuses on the ways in which the LSP experience, and especially experience in English for specific purposes (ESP), compels a new evaluation of certain theoretical positions in applied linguistics and second language learning. It concludes that: (1) the…

A discussion of the types and uses of stories in second language instruction argues that the inclination to narrate is an omnipresent human phenomenon, whether attributed to nature or to culture. The story is a means of self-expression and communication that describes different forms of narrative, both literary and nonliterary. The uses and…

A collection of works on the role of cultural identity in second language learning and teaching includes: "Linguas estrangeiras e ideologia" (Roberto Ballalai); "Cultural Identity and Bilinguality" (Josiane F. Hamers, Michel Blanc); "Foreign Language Teaching and Cultural Identity" (Lakshmie K. Cumaranatunge);…

A self-paced, individualized program of instruction in eight languages (French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish) that has proven successful at San Jose State University (California) is described. The format of the program, options for individual scheduling and guidelines for class attendance, tutoring, and testing…

The language laboratory could make a larger impact than it does on undergraduate language study. The growth of attractive new technology makes even more important the careful evaluation and exploitation of existing technology. A major obstacle in doing this is the lack of careful and rigorous research about the effectiveness of the language…

A review of the status of English language instruction in Greece begins with an overview of the role of English in the society in general, and outlines the status of English use and instruction in the educational system at all levels (elementary, secondary, higher, vocational, adult, and teacher), the characteristics and training of English…

Limited English proficient adults represent a special population group served by the federally funded Adult Education Act. Usually, limited English speakers attend English as a second language (ESL) classes offered by state and local agencies. In the last decade, changes in the approach to ESL instruction have deemphasized academic ESL and focused…

A college-level introductory Spanish instructional system uses an interactive combination of microcomputer and program-stop tape recorder to enhance students' listening skills. The basic content is listening drills, adapted to the computer medium. Microcomputer use adds considerable versatility to instructional materials, including such features…

This volume outlines potential uses of many of the topics associated with daily newspapers, music, film, theater, and sports for vocabulary development and grammar review in French language instruction. The emphasis is on the advantage of using authentic, current materials prepared for the general public but somewhat familiar to students. The…