Discusses a summer program conducted to retrain North Wales French teachers. It is suggested that French teaching in North Wales will be enriched by the enthusiasm of the teachers who took this course. (three references) (CK)

A discussion of intonation instruction in second-language teaching looks at the role, objectives, and scope of such instruction; the tools teachers need to accomplish it (background in theory, practical guidelines, a method, appropriate research, and equipment); and the need for and possible design of related software. (MSE)

Discusses the nature of the mind and education. Suggests that society learns more from mistakes than from simply replicating the mind of the teacher in the students. Expresses hope that the next century will be one of maturity in which society is able to see that old knowledge no longer applies to a changing world. (DK)

Emphasizes, and illustrates with examples, the importance of taking classroom time to rectify incorrect student thinking by immediately undoing, or unraveling, students' misconceptions, errors, or misapplications. When this process is cultivated without a judgmental attitude on the part of the teacher, students' confidence is inspired and…

Presents two teaching ideas. The first helps students identify and correct their own mistakes. A checklist of common mistakes is filled out by students after quizzes and tests and examined for error patterns. The second develops the formula to determine the payments necessary to pay off a loan over a required period of time. (MDH)

Considers the functions of teaching guides, and suggests why their evaluation is a worthwhile activity. The evaluation process is examined, and a set of model criteria for a detailed evaluation are provided. (14 references) (JL)

Qualitative analyses of teacher-student interaction recorded during subject-matter lessons in Grade 4 French immersion classrooms indicate that language form is often out of focus in immersion classroom discourse. Discusses pedagogical implications of research findings related to corrective feedback. (Author/VWL)

Two experiments involving 46 seventh graders, 28 undergraduates and 28 seventh graders examined developmental and individual differences in students' revising for meaning. Results of both experiments suggested that knowing error location (having it pointed out) may focus less sophisticated writers, like middle school students, too narrowly and may…

Examined the effect of differential feedback (corrections, commentaries), and a combination of the two) on the journal writing accuracy of minority- and majority-language students being educated in the same classrooms. Journal writing samples were collected from 112 fifth grade students over 4 months. Outcomes of the study are discussed in light…

The article reports on findings from a replication of a study of bilingual children's editing and correction strategies. The earlier study analyzed revisions that 2nd, 4th, and 6th graders made to their own compositions, written in Spanish. The present study applied the same procedure and assessment rubric to the first draft of compositions…

This paper describes a project involving EFL learners in synchronous electronic discussions. The output of the students' interactions was analyzed qualitatively to uncover the main linguistic and interactional features. It was observed that the students' discussions contained a large number of spelling, usage, and grammatical errors, an almost…

This study investigated what forms of feedback, if any, helped students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learn grammar. Subjects, 100 Japanese college students of EFL, were given two types of tests on English dative ("to/for") alternation, then divided into five groups, according to the type of feedback they received: (1) group A was given…

The choice of a reliable authority for use in decisions of grammatical acceptability in English is discussed. It is argued that commonly-heard "rules" of English grammar offer advice that is either prescriptive or proscriptive, not descriptive, and often based on inaccuracies or flawed linguistic analyses. This is illustrated in the case of…

In recent years, a controversy has arisen about the advisability of allowing examinees to review their test items and possibly change answers. Arguments for and against allowing item review are discussed, and issues that a test designer should consider when designing a Computerized Adaptive Test (CAT) are identified. Most CATs do not allow…

Suggestions are presented for being successful in publishing research results and for disseminating results once they are published. Writing style is the single most important ingredient for success in publishing, and revision is the usual prerequisite for style. Selecting target journals before writing can maximize the manuscript's chances of…