Because conventional foreign language classroom interaction is not amenable to, and can even undermine, learning of social conversational skills, the Department of State's Foreign Service Institute has created an activity to develop these skills. It involves preparation for and realization of a single event, a party hosted by State Department…

The role of English language training in Japan's move toward corporate internationalization is addressed, particularly in terms of the importance of English, the nature and quality of training, and the ramifications of that training regarding global competition. It is noted that the Japanese language is not suited for the sort of confrontation,…

Examining the learning experiences of four Laotian students at a mainstream secondary school, this book describes and interprets the students' learning situations and reveals their perspectives along with those of their teachers. The book introduces readers to the Savang family, refugees who left Laos. The book also shows how open journal writing…

A study investigated the experiences of three Australian teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) who conducted teacher workshops on communicative language teaching methods in Vietnam. It provides a critical description of cultural conflicts arising from the introduction of a western teaching approach and the informants' interpretations of…

This publication is a 60-item catalog listing of curricula, teaching guides, and other resources for teachers that focus on developing and promoting pedagogy, resources, and cross-cultural understanding for social and economic justice in the Americas. Many of the offerings particularly address racism and issues in Central America and South…

The Kinder Lernen Deutsch (LKD) materials evaluation project identifies materials appropriate for the elementary school German classrooms in grades K-8. This guide consists of an annotated bibliography, with ratings, of these materials. The guiding principles by which the materials were assessed were: use of the communicative approach; integration…

This report is part of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's triennial assessment of the needs and interests of minority and diverse audiences, including ethnic minorities, recent immigrant groups, adults lacking basic reading skills, and people who use English as a second language. The assessment took the form of a conference which brought…

This paper discusses the perception of "self" and "other" in the relationship between teacher and student as well as in all human relations. The dialogical philosophy of Martin Buber that defines an "I-Thou" relationship as one where the relationship exists in concert and not singly is described. The "I" is…

English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students often finish their language courses without ever having an opportunity to interact with native English speakers or without getting an idea of what the target culture is really like. Interactive videoconferencing can help students gain insight into the target culture when they are using conversational…

This guide provides California's adult educators and employers with useful cross-cultural communication training techniques. These strategies are intended for application in both adult education and employment contexts to enhance the overall quality of communication between individuals of differing cultural backgrounds. The first two sections…

This study examined the process of parent-school communication from the perspective of Native American parents in a consolidated, rural school district. The multi-model qualitative study used participant observation, open-ended interviews, and document collection to focus on the relatively wealthy, rural consolidated district, encompassing three…

This paper discusses the role that foreign language programs should play in targeting their instruction to the particular needs of students, whether they are studying business, science, or other technical fields. It also describes an English-German negotiation simulation for final year students in the International Business and German course at…

This paper examines the strong relationship between American universities and Iranian institutions of higher education from 1960 to 1980 and beyond. A review of comparative literature indicates that these relationships have had a lasting impact on Iranian education. The paper begins with a brief history of education in Persia beginning around 700…

The guide is designed for use in English-as-a-Second-Language instruction at the intermediate level. The activities are designed to be enjoyable and encourage students to interact, but also to be non-threatening to even the most reserved students. The exercises develop strategic conversation skills. Each has three parts: a teacher's introduction;…

The book provides over 1,200 conversation topics for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction, grouped into six kinds of conversation activities. An introductory chapter describes the monitored conversation procedure, a classroom technique for recognizing language usage errors and reinforcing the correct form or vocabulary item. Subsequent…