A discussion of techniques for teachers to best use functional materials focuses on providing practice in recognizing and manipulating stress and intonation variations to produce attitudinally appropriate utterances. Lesson planning ideas for beginner and intermediate levels are included. (MSE)

Proposes that dialogue provides children with opportunities to participate with adults in creating linguistic relationships of which they would be incapable alone. Reports the findings of a study of dialogues between mothers and their young children. (FL)

Analyzes a segment from the Austrian radio series "Grammar with a Smile," dealing with the future tense. Criticizes the dialog as not true to life and lacking in motivating power. Ends with suggestions for alternatives. (IFS/WGA)

This article focuses on two elements of the dialogue: the "real-life" quality of the language (where to find "real-life" language, how to check its authenticity, how to record it) and the element of unpredictability (how to create "real-life" dialogues with unexpected responses which necessitate well-developed listening skills). (CFM)

Notes that information presented in dialog form in a foreign language lends itself more easily to conversation than does intricate narrative prose. Using background information on Halloween, the article adapts the text to present information about the target culture as well as to humorously present facts about the North American festivity.…

Discusses implications of cultural influences on child rearing for teachers' communication and caregiving routines in early childhood settings. Highlights the Parent-Teacher Dialogue Project (San Francisco Bay area) to encourage open dialog between parents and caregivers, which has resulted in increased awareness of the impact of teachers'…

Defines continuous role playing in foreign language teaching suggestopedia (as practiced in Bulgaria); discusses how to achieve and sustain it; and considers its advantages, disadvantages and relevance. The article notes that the balancing role of the teacher is crucial to the techniques employed in the classroom dialogs. (10 references) (CK)

Proposes the use of literary dialogues as a good source of classroom material because they tend to be relatively authentic and concern original situations. Suggestions are made for using literary dialogues in the classroom, and examples and ideas for choosing materials are provided. (MSE)

Describes the use of dialogues in teaching introductory women's studies courses. Discusses interior, textual, and verbal dialogues. Suggests that teaching in this manner challenges traditional processes of knowledge production and evaluation. Argues that journals and peer support groups widen the scope and nature of exchanges within feminist…

Tested the fine-tuning hypothesis of language acquisition, which postulates that parents fine-tune their speech to their children's language level, by examining local patterns of interaction within the conversations of three parent-child dyads. The high positive correlations between parent-child dyads for the different interactional patterns…

Emphasis on competency-based teaching and outcomes oversimplifies teaching and learning. Reducing a complex and highly political process such as dialog to a series of orderly steps falsely presents the classroom as predictable and implies that success lies in efficient delivery techniques without regard for context. (SK)

CONNECT is an "incubator without walls" formed by the University of California San Diego and area businesses to spur economic development through creative educational initiatives and partnerships. It focuses on problem solving using multidisciplinary and cross-professional approaches. (SK)

Argues for "potential spaces" in which teachers share stories, examine moments of challenge, and articulate revisionary solutions as imperative to the educational process. Suggests that it is through such spaces that teachers form the voices of critique and possibility that they need to address both their classrooms and institutions. (TB)

Proposes an extended form of dialog for social systems design called design conversation. Two modes of social discourse are combined: strategic dialog (communication that focuses on the specific task of seeking solutions) and generative dialog (common frame of thinking and shared meaning in a group). Describes a conversation program of the…

A two-year study of teachers' attitudes about professional voice involved discussions among groups of colleagues about professional issues, addressing three areas of concern about dialogue: teacher interest, administrative support from the teacher's perspective, and constraints. The paper examines the importance of personal narratives to encourage…