What lessons can be learned from relevant research in vocabulary- and language-learning strategy training as well as from comparative studies on learning Oriental languages, which could have helpful applications to language learners from Kanji-background countries? Could both mnemonic and semantic field keyword approaches help these learners by…

This booklet is a basic introduction to the people, history, and cultures of the Somali Bantu. It is designed primarily for service providers and others assisting Somali Bantu refugees in their new communities in the United States. It focuses on: "Introduction"; "Land"; "People" (place in society and social…

Of the 22 million children currently enrolled in U.S. schools, more than 2 million have limited English proficiency. Preschoolers and elementary-age children make up the greatest proportion of the immigrant student population, and many teachers need support in educating these young, linguistically diverse students. This digest reviews proven…

This book is based on a series of four lectures, presented at National Taipei University, Taiwan, which reviewed the fundamentals of second language acquisition theory, presented original research supporting the theory, offered counterarguments to criticisms, and explored new areas that appeared to have promise for progress in both theory and…

Project-based learning can be used when creating simulated authentic cultural experiences via virtual trips on the World Wide Web. Project-based learning is a comprehensive, constructivist-based approach that engages students in the investigation of authentic problems. This paper focuses on the theoretical basis for project-based learning and…

This digest reports on a study that examined the impact of participation in a two-way immersion program on the language and achievement outcomes of former program participants and on their current schooling path and college plans. The study explored outcomes for three groups of students: (1) Hispanic students who began the two-way program as…

This book for beginning readers highlights Robert Mazibuko, the "Tree Man," who spent his life teaching people how to enrich the soil and plant vegetables and trees. Born in South Africa in 1904, he lived on a farm, learning to work with livestock, raise crops, and share with the community. In college, his professor of agriculture…

This project emphasized the writing-reading connection in the English as a Foreign Language (EFL) curriculum, noting the effects of integrating nonfiction reading about culture into writing tasks and investigating reading-for-writing activities that functioned as an extension from the EFL classrooms to the outside world. The project occurred in a…

This paper argues that a need exists, especially in urban universities, to focus on attitudes toward foreign language learning (in this case, the learning of English) and toward speakers of the language being learned as well as the cultures represented by its speakers. The concept of interculturality as a goal for learning challenges negative…

The interest in the effects of computer-mediated communication on language learning has increased in recent years. It is asserted by proponents that use of e-mail in second language learning promotes more effective discourse management, the use of more foreign language functions, and greater levels of student participation. E-mail puts learners in…

This paper argues in favor of dual language programs over typical bilingual education programs because in the dual language program the minority language has a status equal to the majority language. Through the use of the language experience approach, this study examines the role of elicited response from a small sample of English and Spanish…

This curriculum guide for Certificates in English Language Literacies (CELL) advocates "apprenticed" learning and assessment. At no stage is the learner expected to work alone, though it is expected and desired that learners eventually consolidate more skills and become more independent. This curriculum is designed so that the learner…

This documents contains 40 discreet pieces of advice and tips for making English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes, at whatever level, more interesting and fun for both teacher and learner. It also offers good and shrewd advice for handling the myriad of issues that face the typical ESL teacher--from dealing with the custodial staff at the…

Noting that one of the most challenging tasks educators face in improving parent involvement, particularly among parents of English as a Second Language (ESL) students, this paper describes categories of parent involvement, examines several barriers to parent involvement, and offers suggestions for improving parent involvement. Suggestions for…

The Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) was part of a project examining biographical, motivational, attitudinal, personality, and cognitive aptitude variables in 1,000 adult students preparing at the Foreign Service Institute for overseas assignments, with various subsamples completing different instruments. Data were analyzed using correlation,…