Describes an appended questionnaire prepared for the Ministry of Education of the Quebec Region to determine the influence of the linguistic environment on learners of English as a second language and to define their needs at the secondary school level. Points out that statistical results support simultaneous teaching of the four skills and…

Discusses the need of students in French business schools for developing speaking skills in English and the methods that were developed to meet this need. The use of case studies and role plays is evaluated and the need for a new way of presenting case studies is considered. (Author/AMH)

Describes an overview of language research and courses in British institutions of higher learning. Information is provided on the view of language held there, the development of the functional/notional approach, demands on the language teaching profession resulting from the Council of Europe proposals, and immigration into Britain. (Author/AMH)

Describes problems resulting from the use of immigrant industrial workers with poor language understanding and the method used to assess functional oral English for occupational purposes. While the form of assessment provides authentic data for company training and communication needs, further research is needed to resolve some problems. (MF)

Discusses the results of a study designed to investigate the effects of five different program models on both acquisition and maintenance of Spanish by native Spanish-speaking kindergarten children. (Author/CFM)

Investigates, within the context of the question-answer framework of a foreign language oral proficiency test, the interactive nature of spoken discourse between Canadian students and assessors when there is trouble in talk as perceived by the assessors, with a focus on how they accommodate to the students. The study has implications for rater…

Discusses the methodological concepts of medium- and message-oriented communication and applies these concepts to conventional foreign language and bilingual content classrooms, with specific reference to English as a Second Language. Argues that the interplay between message- and medium-orientation is an important feature of both these…

This article argues that the Internet and electronic mail offer enormous potential for enhancing the communicative approach to language teaching adopted by the Queensland High School (Australia) French program. (22 references) (Author/CK)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a program to positively influence students about substance use. Drug-free high school students modeled behaviors and social competencies for elementary students through ongoing relationships. Elementary students' surveys supported the use of role models to create a social norm that nonuse is acceptable.…

Analysis of 150 students (grades 2 through 4) referred to School Study Teams found 43 were classified with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and 12 with emotional/behavioral disorders, but most of these students were placed in learning disability programs. Differences in student achievement, intelligence, and social skills for the three…

A model of family, child, and parental childrearing characteristics was developed and tested for predicting the cognitive competence in a sample of 10,774 six-year-olds from The Netherlands. Results of LISREL analyses showed that parent education level played a central role in explaining differences in children's cognitive competence. Family…

The role of self-perceptions in peer selection was examined among seventh-graders and third-graders. Findings indicated that when evaluations (supposedly of unfamiliar peers) related to specific competence domains, seventh-graders preferred positive peers to negative peers, whereas third-graders selected peers who viewed them as they viewed…

Examined relationships among child-mother attachment when children were age 3; family stress when children were 3, 4, and 5; and social-emotional outcomes in kindergarten. Found that less secure kindergartners were more aggressive and less socially competent than secure peers, and kindergartners who had experienced more family stress in preschool…

Presents various tips that are useful in the classroom for teaching second languages. These tips focus on teaching basic computer operations; using annotations to foster error corrections in language; using video clips as a part of a U.S. history or culture-based English-as-a-Second-Language lesson; using karaoke to speak with less inhibition; and…

This study investigated relationships between teacher training and competence in Malta. Education officers, preservice teachers, and recent graduates were surveyed about teacher preparation, attitudes, and skills. Most beginning teachers had positive attitudes toward teaching. With increasing years, teachers felt more disillusioned and unsure…