Over the past ten years, language teachers have become adept at using new techniques for teaching culture. Folklore is one resource that has not been fully exploited, but that can lead students to a deeper understanding of culture and, at the same time, involve them in rich language experiences. Use of folklore in the foreign language classroom,…

One of the most pressing problems in foreign language education concerns the financing of foreign language instruction and foreign language associations. Alternatives that the profession may have to consider in this regard are discussed, and some possible courses of action are suggested. The chances of future survival of discipline-oriented…

There is an urgent need to formulate a new set of goals, methods and concepts for instruction in English as a second language (ESL) if it is to remain viable and make its potential contribution to American education. The present work draws on recent developments in linguistics, psychology, anthropology, and language pedagogy in an attempt to…

After a survey of current methods of studying lexical acquisition, none of which are really suitable for studying how specific words are acquired and used by adult learners and how such usage differs from that of native speakers, a method is proposed for the study of such qualitative aspects of second language lexical acquisition. Learners are…

This essay considers three areas in Spanish grammar that generally cause difficulty to English-speaking learners: the use of "ser" and "estar," the difference in use between the preterite and imperfect tenses, and the use of the subjunctive. Like most problematic grammatical elements in any language, these points are difficult for non-native…

Enjoyment of ethnic food can be the "point de depart" for tracing the heritage of the people being studied and for broadening students' horizons. This article outlines a study of food throughout the centuries, particularly in Europe. The "gastronomic route" begins historically with the Minoans around 2000 B.C., continues with…

This is a report on the use of computerized instruction in some of the elementary French classes at the University of Illinois (Urbana campus). This project was initiated in the fall of 1968. The experiments were carried out on the PLATO III system until January 1973 at which time the PLATO IV system became operational for student use. This…

The amount of time that should be spent on explicit teaching of language patterns and structure is an issue among second language teachers. Those who believe that language learning is a developmental process feel that there is no sense in teaching grammar and syntax explicitly since the learner can be expected to acquire these skills as he…

This paper discusses the role of intelligence in language comprehension. In the study reported, an attempt is made to determine how much of the variability in English reading scores of non-native speakers of English can be predicted on the basis of intelligence alone. In the study, three measures of reading comprehension are used: a traditional…

A study was conducted that was designed to determine if experienced ESL (English as a second language) teachers, working in pairs, can reach the same judgments regarding the oral proficiency of non-native speakers of English and to determine the reliability of such judgments. In addition, the question of whether different sets of judges rate…

A study was carried out of the 15 to 20% of immigrants enrolled in French second language classes in the "Centres d'Orientation et de Formation des Immigrants" (COFI) in Quebec, who learn little or no French after 8 weeks of an intensive course and repetitions of the course. This report presents the data gathered in the course of the…

This paper explores the different patterns of cognitive behavior of children from varying linguistic, socio-economic, and cultural backgrounds. Several perspectives on cognitive consequences as related to language, class, and culture are presented. The sample consisted of grade one children, one hundred ten boys and one hundred girls between six…

The following papers on acquisition of reading skills are included: (1) "Miscue Analysis and Future Research Directions" (Goodman); (2) "Reading in Spanish: Insights from Children's Miscues" (Barrera); (3) "An Investigation of the Oral Reading Behaviors of Native Spanish Speakers Reading in Spanish" (Hudelson); (4) "A Study of Oral Reading in…

This is the report of a study in which the needs of Nebraska Indochinese refugees were assessed by in-person interviews in 115 households representing 30% of the Indochinese households in the State. These households included five ethnic groups (ethnic Vietnamese, Chinese Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, and Hmong) and were representatives of the…

Communication within the foreign language profession and with the public is discussed. The responsibilities of national, regional, state, and local professional organizations in dealing with matters of articulation and standardization are discussed. Articulation means setting up common goals and ideals for foreign language learning and teaching…