This curriculum guide provides a variety of activities to develop perceptual skills in young children. Activities in the following areas are provided: (1) motor skills--awareness of self, gross motor, fine motor, orientation in space, eye motor; (2) auditory skills--attention, listening, discrimination, imitation and articulation, auditory…

Selected eight to ten year old Maryland children were used in this study measuring the effect of lessons in becoming aware of propaganda employed by commercial advertisers in television programs. Sixteen 45-minute lessons directed to the propaganda techniques of Band Wagon, Card Stacking, Glittering Generalities, Name Calling, Plain Folks,…

This glossary is part of the Defense Language Institute's 18-week "Short Course in Thai." Other course materials include six 10-lesson volumes and accompanying tape recordings together with an "Introduction to Thai Script." The course is designed to train native-English speakers to level 1, elementary proficiency in speaking, understanding, and…

This study is designed to compare "traditional" and "immersion" methods of language instruction to determine whether the latter is a viable alternative in four-year, secondary-school language programs. Both methods are evaluated on the basis of student achievement in comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills in Spanish. The hypothesis…

Because of the recent Lau vs. Nichols decision by the Supreme Court, school districts will be looking for various instruments to determine language functionality in bilingual students. Nine tests are reviewed: the Leiter International Performance Scale (LIPS), the Michigan Oral Language Productive Tests Structured Response, the Michigan Oral…

This report describes a survey undertaken for the Task Force on English to determine the number of children in Vancouver schools for whom English is a second language. It reports the extent to which these children are handicapped in their use of the English language and identifies their placement needs within the school system. Questionnaires were…

This is a supplement to the Advanced Placement (AP) German literature course description. Its aim is both to assist teachers in planning an AP German literature course and to provide experienced AP teachers with information about other successful programs. To this end, six teachers from different high schools in the U.S. provide descriptions of…

A report on the introduction and use of short wave broadcasts in an intensive spoken French class. The kinds of materials used, class structure, the nature of assignments, student motivation, testing, cultural advantages, student reactions, and suggestions for further application are discussed. A list of useful references is included. (AMH)

Fifty-one adult Spanish speakers at three levels of ESL ability were tested in both their elicited imitation (production) and act-out (comprehension) of complex sentences that were structurally identical. Analysis of variance results indicate that production tests, not comprehension tests, principally evaluate a learner's structural knowledge.…

Summarizes some preliminary findings from research into the nature and effect of various discourse modifications by a native speaker to a language learner. These modifications include (1) idiom avoidance; (2) comprehension checks and pauses; and (3) selection of information. An informal experiment gauging foreign students' impression of…

This framework articulates the knowledge and skills adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learners need in order to communicate effectively and confidently in English so that they can meet their needs, advocate for themselves, their families and their communities, and participate more fully in U.S. society. The content outlined in…

Based on the 1998 Arkansas State Language Arts Framework, this sample curriculum model for kindergarten language arts is divided into sections focusing on writing; listening, speaking, and viewing; and reading. Each section lists standards; benchmarks; assessments; and strategies/activities. The reading section itself is divided into print…

The guide provides both general and specific behavioral objectives for French second language instruction in immersion contexts at each grade level in Alberta's elementary and secondary schools (K-12). An introductory section gives an overview of the curriculum's design and use of the guide, instructional and evaluation principles, and some major…

Various socio-environmental influences (social class, preschool education, and home environment) on the development of receptive language in preschool children were investigated. Only middle class children benefitted significantly from nursery school experience. (BW)

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…