Using data from a national follow-up study of freshmen (n=24,837), a study investigated how different types of courses and instructional techniques affect college students' self-reported growth in critical thinking. Results revealed that taking writing, interdisciplinary, history, science, women's studies, math, foreign language, and ethnic…

Faced with a shortage of suitably qualified teachers in many subject areas, the United Kingdom Government has set up a number of initiatives to explore ways of supporting students' learning in classes taught by underqualified subject specialists and classes with no specialist teacher. One such initiative has been the Key Stage 3 (11-14 age range)…

"No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) attempts to ensure educational equity for all K-12 students. However, for the conceptual goals of NCLB to become reality, pre-service teacher training models must be modified to include a deeper understanding of individual differences and how these play out in classroom dynamics. The "Three Literacy…

This special issue of the newsletter "BEOutreach" focuses on the theme of family literacy program design and implementation. Articles address these topics: the influence of language and literacy on relationships within families and between families and schools; innovative approaches to family literacy that emphasize excellence; examples of…

It is argued that despite a common assumption to the contrary, there is children's literature appropriate to students of English as a Second Language (ESL) aged 9-14. First, the unique needs and characteristics of the target population are examined. This population consists of limited-English-proficient speakers, usually immigrants or refugees…

The practicum reported here was developed to provide a curriculum to improve English skills and a knowledge of American culture in the adult English speaker of other languages (ESOL). A 12-week curriculum was devised to teach grammar and language skills within the context of humorous stories about daily living and by using weekly themes that are…

This collection of essays, most followed by comments, reflect some aspect of the general theme: reading is a multifacted, complex, interactive process that involves many subskills and many types of reader, as well as text, variables. Papers include: "The Eclectic Synergy of Methods of Reading Research" (Ulla Connor); "A View of…

Papers on aspects of pragmatics include: "Pragmatics and Language Learning" (Lawrence F. Bouton); "Pragmatics and Language Teaching: Bringing Pragmatics and Pedagogy Together" (Kathleen Bardovi-Harlig); "Cross-Cultural Communication and Interlanguage Pragmatics: American vs. European Requests" (Jasone Cenoz, Jose F.…

This guide is a collection of essays on the writing of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) textbooks and other instructional materials. Articles include: "Writing and Publishing Textbooks (Patricia Byrd); "The Craft of Materials Writing" (Fraida Dubin); "Considering Culture: Guidelines for ESL/EFL Textbook Writers" (Gayle Nelson); "Issues in the…

This collection consists of 41 collaborative lesson plans developed by 99 Virginia teachers at 18 primarily High Schools that Work (HSTW) and tech prep sites. It is divided into three sections: career connection, community connection, and consumer connection. Two types of lesson descriptions which support HSTW key practices, and Virginia's Tech…

A collection of essays on English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and bilingual education focuses on issues in making curricula meaningful for teachers and students. Articles include: "Critical Mediation: When Teachers and Students Connect in the 'Ecliptic Zone'" (Irma N. Guadarrama); "Reflecting on Ideological Baggage: Latino…

Cooperative learning activities, instructional strategies, and reproducible classroom materials are provided to assist teachers with English-as-a-Second-Language learners in their classes. They are designed to help students develop English language skills using conversation-based cooperative learning principles, with native speakers and ESL…

This guide is designed for Kazakh language training of Peace Corps workers in Kazakhstan, and reflects daily communication needs in that context. It consists of an introductory chapter and a series of 10 theme-based competency-based language lessons. The introduction contains background information on the language, its alphabet, the Kazakh people,…

This guide is designed for Albanian language training of Peace Corps workers in Albania, is intended to be used in a competency-based language training program, and reflects daily communication needs in that context. It consists of an introductory section on the history, alphabet, and phonology of the Albanian language and a series of 14 topical…

This guide is designed for Latvian language training of Peace Corps workers in Latvia, is intended for use in a competency-based language training program, and reflects daily communication needs in that context. It consists of an introductory section on the history, alphabet, and phonology of the Latvian language and a series of 13 topical…