The role of the language laboratory in current language teaching and learning is discussed. Four main aspects of audio technology and its relationship to language learning are covered: (1) the technological aspect: what a language lab is and what kinds of labs are available in Ireland; (2) the research aspect: what kind of research is being…

The handbook presents a variety of second language teaching techniques, some old and some new, for use with technological equipment. Each chapter focuses on a specific piece of equipment or technology, or in some cases, two technologies that share some characteristics and can be used similarly. Each chapter begins with a brief description of the…

THIS 3-PART RESEARCH REPORT DISCUSSES SYSTEMATICALLY THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES, ANALYZES THE PROBLEMS THAT FACE SCHOOLS, AND OFFERS SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING PROGRAMS. AFTER REVIEWING THE HISTORICAL FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NEW EMPHASIS BEING PUT ON LANGUAGES, PART ONE SUMMARIZES SUCH DEVELOPMENTS AND TRENDS AS THE…

FOR MANY YEARS THE ENGLISH PROGRAM AT EDISON HIGH SCHOOL WAS INADEQUATE, AND 70 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS FAILED THE STANDARDIZED TEST ADMINISTERED BY THE CITY GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT. THE PROGRAM FAILED TO MEET THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS OF VARYING RACIAL AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUNDS. THREE FACTORS WERE--(1) A LOW SOCIOECONOMIC LEVEL, (2) AN…

This is a report on a statewide experiment conducted in Pennsylvania secondary schools of all types during the 1965-66 school year. The project sought to determine the effectiveness of various teaching strategies and of the language laboratory in the environment of the real school situation. Each of 61 first-year French classes and 43 first-year…

Designed specifically for use in the oral phase of first-level French classes in New York City Public Schools, these scripts may be used as supplemental drill or review material in any beginning conversational French course with or without the accompanying audio tapes. The two-part manual treats through a variety of drills such aspects of grammar…

The initial chapter of this volume is concerned with determining the variables involved in language learning. The procedures and results of experiments conducted in order to formulate learning and teaching principles are described. Experiments include testing different approaches used to help students acquire sentence meaning, discovering the most…

This article discusses universal advantages and disadvantages of various audio systems which may be used for language learning. In order to encourage teachers and administrators to experiment with simpler systems than the conventional language laboratory, a list of several low-cost alternatives is given. The list gives the producer's name, a…

The recent tendency in language instruction is toward the functional approach which shifts focus away from structure and internal semantics toward communicative competence and the external uses to which language is put. The implications of this trend for methodology, materials production, educational technology, and in particular for the language…

This paper discusses the growing dissatisfaction with language laboratories for foreign language instruction, and suggests that more lively materials should be developed for laboratory use. A contextualized approach is suggested, whereby an anecdote, song, essay or poem is used as the basis for a variety of exercises. Calendars upon which…

This study was conducted in an attempt to provide an alternative to the long-established method of tape listening and repetition drills, a method that has had disappointing results. It is suggested that the rate of speed of phonic presentation is not commensurate with the rate of comprehension. The proposed method seeks to prevent cognitive…

Described in this report is a survey conducted to acquire detailed information about the number, kinds, and uses of language laboratories in Virginia's public secondary schools. An introductory section discusses the development of a questionnaire, its distribution to school superintendents, and the analysis of the results. The major part of the…

The Communications Skills Laboratory Program, an ESEA/Title I project in the Atlanta, Georgia, public schools, presented a language skills course for underachieving eighth-grade pupils. Pupils had reading achievement scores below sixth-grade level, had reading potential scores above this level, and had a 70 IQ or better. Small group or individual…

An experiment in which secondary school French, German, and Spanish classes at a large comprehensive high school were conducted in three different kinds of classroom settings is described, with emphasis on student rating of machine-guided language practice. Classroom settings included (1) a conventional classroom with a few weekly half-periods in…

This concise report, one of a series, focuses attention on the topic of correlation of work in the foreign language class with drill in the language laboratory. Viewing the attitude of the language teacher as the critical factor in this problem, the author presents fundamental material on: (1) selection of appropriate materials, (2) the use of…