"Focus on Basics" is the quarterly publication of the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. It presents best practices, current research on adult learning and literacy, and how research is used by adult basic education teachers, counselors, program administrators, and policymakers. "Focus on Basics" is…

These papers are partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science Degree in Education at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota. The cohort included a variety of licenser areas that represent most levels and content areas of K-12 education. The students were encouraged to keep their questions and hypothesis directed at…

This paper argues that computers can be a useful tool for encouraging students to be active and independent learners, particularly in language learning. The key is to find appropriate activities and content to motivate students to learn actively and independently. Access to computers may present challenging obstacles for some teachers (supply,…

This edited volume presents case studies from Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East in which teachers have adapted and pioneered teaching innovations. The book is divided into 4 parts, 12 chapters, and an introduction. Part one, "Building a Computer Learning Center," has two chapters: "Guerilla Tactics: Creating a…

This project involves the collaboration of researchers with 24 teachers in a study aimed at investigating and improving the vocabulary knowledge and reading comprehension of 4th and 5th grade students for whom English is a second language. Cross sectional and longitudinal data were collected on various aspects of vocabulary knowledge, vocabulary…

Articles on second language education include: "Foreign Languages in Schools" (Madelyn Holmes), an overview of the benefits of language instruction in elementary and secondary education; "Japanese across the Miles" (Elizabeth Reiken), describing a high school distance learning program in Japanese; "Teaching Spanish as a Community Service" (Rita A.…

The guide contains 25 useful techniques for teaching literacy. It is designed for basic literacy instruction but may also be used in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction; three of the tools are specific to ESL students. Published sources that provide a fuller explanation of the techniques are listed after each entry and in a bibliography…

This book examines the impact of cultural and linguistic diversity on the learning of children with disabilities and giftedness, and explores multicultural education and the ways that multicultural perspectives can be taught to children with disabilities. Five major sections discuss: the foundations of multicultural education, multicultural…

The guide is designed to orient volunteers teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) overseas to the experience of teaching in this context and the processes of preparing for teaching and addressing classroom issues. An introductory chapter looks at the typical volunteer teaching environment and previews the guide's content. Chapters 1-6 focus…

This manual is designed to assist English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers in adult basic education programs in assessing and documenting student progress. It is organized into five sections according to skill areas: reading; writing; speaking; listening; and computation. Each section includes a list of core competencies, a list of assessment…

A 1994 study investigated foreign language instruction in the elementary schools (FLES) in Austin, Texas. Data were drawn from telephone interviews with school personnel, from documents and records at the state department of education, and from visits to schools offering FLES instruction. The report presents information on the seven school…

This training guide is designed to help monolingual English scorers accurately measure the performance of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students on large scale assessment of open-ended mathematics and science performance tests. The guide can also help teachers accurately evaluate classroom work. The guide is arranged in such a way that it can…

The purpose of this document is to help South African educational institutions adjust to a post-apartheid era, in which linguistic diversity is promoted and celebrated, by clarifying the emerging processes of language policy formulation and implementation. The new government decided against issuing a grand blueprint for a new national language…

This document provides a common foundation for bilingual programming across the Western Canadian provinces and territories for K-12 students. The framework is not intended for the development of curricula for French immersion or bilingual programs in native languages. The term bilingual programming is defined for the purposes of this document to…

This book describes the characteristics of secondary schools in the United States that make it difficult for immigrant students to succeed. These include the following: fragmented school days and instructional programs in which English-as-a-Second-Language and content area teachers work in separate departments and rarely interact; the complex…