This study describes certain communication strategies used by Anglophone children learning French as a second language as well as by children whose mother tongue is French. Three groups of children in the third and fifth grades participated in the study: French native speakers, Anglophone children learning French in an immersion setting, and…

This is a report on a child's English and French speech before, during and after a summer vacation in France. The findings are based on recorded samples of her speech in both languages elicited at three times: (1) immediately preceding the trip at age 3 years, 8 months; (2) 2 and l/2 months later; and (3) again 2 and l/2 months after her return to…

This survey of vocational English as a second language (ESL) for adult learners covers the following areas: (1) language content (pronunciation, structure, vocabulary, style and conversational strategies, literacy training, motivation); (2) program design, including a variety of program models; and (3) materials development (needs assessment,…

This volume consists of the following papers selected from those presented at the 1977 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages: (1) "Educational Cognitive Style: A Basis for Personalizing Foreign Language Instruction," by Derek N. Nunney; (2) "Discovering Student Learning Styles through Cognitive Style Mapping," by Helen S.…

The patterns of moves in one type of teaching setting is very fixed: the teacher sets the stage for the learning, then sets tasks or asks questions for others to respond to and then comments on the performances. The problem with this pattern in language classrooms is that language is used differently in non-teaching settings. If students are…

Audio-Lectal Practice (ALP) as a second language teaching methodology is described. In this program, students recite progressively difficult texts in the language laboratory, and compare their recitation with the taped recitation of a native speaker. The method facilitates exposure and rigorous work on the oral discourse features of the target…

Rapidly changing social, economic, and political conditions, declining enrollments, fiscal restraints, and decline in teacher turnover are factors that affect curriculum development. Staff development may be considered the most important instrument available for providing educational personnel with the skills and knowledge necessary to adjust to…

Writing exercises used as a means of reinforcing language presented and practiced in the spoken medium should include clear cues for the student that can stimulate and guide the writing of connected sentences. Three principles are suggested as being fundamental to the planning and use of effective exercises: (1) focus throughout should be on the…

Papers are presented from a colloquium on the teaching of German in the United Kingdom. Following an introduction by C.V. James, the following papers on the schools are presented: "A General View" by M. Lodge; "A Regional View" by R. Sheppard and G. Turner; "As the Teacher-Trainer Sees Them" by A. Hornsey;…

Three similar experiments were conducted to assess language variation and politeness in the speech of English monolingual and Spanish-English bilingual children, and in Armenian children learning English as a second language. Each experiment elicited request strategies from the children with the use of puppets in a structured conversation. While…

Errors can be considered concrete representations of stages through which one must go in order to acquire one's native language and a second language. It has been discovered that certain errors appear systematically, revealing an approximate system, or "interlanguage," behind the erroneous utterances. Present research in second language…

THE TEACHERS OF BILINGUAL STUDENTS IN NEW MEXICO NEED ADDITIONAL TRAINING TO WORK WITH THOSE STUDENTS FROM THE LINGUISTICALLY AND CULTURALLY IMPOVERISHED AREAS OF THE STATE. THOSE TEACHERS OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE MUST BE PREPARED TO COMMUNICATE INTERCULTURALLY AS WELL AS LINGUISTICALLY IF THEY ARE TO PENETRATE THE REAL WORLD OF THE MEXICAN…

A 1953 MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION-SPONSORED CONFERENCE OF SPECIALISTS ON TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS DREW UP A SERIES OF ANSWERS TO THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FLES. IN 1954, SPECIALISTS IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION MET TO CRITICIZE THESE ANSWERS AND TO DISCUSS PROBLEMS IN FLES. THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS BOTH THE…

SOME OF THE NEWER APPROACHES TO THE TEACHING OF SECOND LANGUAGES AS APPLIED TO ENGLISH READING INSTRUCTION FOR INDIAN AND MEXICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS ARE EXPLORED. SPECIAL EMPHASIS IS GIVEN TO THE UNIQUE CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMS FACED BY THE CHILDREN OF THESE ETHNIC GROUPS. CONSIDERABLE EMPHASIS IS GIVEN TO THE NEED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF…

Innovative programs have been undertaken at several reservation schools to meet the special needs of Indian students. Often, however, the cultural background of the student is neglected, and he is forced to adapt to an alien school system. This creates an especially difficult problem set for the student with a poor grasp of the English language.…