Data is presented in support of the assertion that the interlanguage hypothesis should be extended from adult second language acquisition settings to those non-simultaneous child language acquisition settings where the major sociolinguistic variable is the absence of peers who are native speakers of the target language. (Author/RM)

In language teaching and learning, we have a lot to choose from the world of technology: radio, TV, CD-Rom, computers, C.A.L.L., the Internet, Electronic Dictionary, e-mail, audio cassettes, Power-point, and videos/DVDs or VCDs. Table 1 in Appendix C illustrates their advantages and disadvantages. This paper aims to discuss the use and importance…

Teaching can be overwhelming and teachers can feel as if they are being pulled in many different directions unless they are able to point all of the complicated tasks connected to teaching in the same direction. The Center for Applied Second Language Studies (CASLS) has delivered online assessments called STAMP (Standards-based Measurement of…

This article presents the steps taken over three years (2003-2006) by the Consortium for Assessing Performance Standards, a New Jersey Grant Project to create a database of thematically organized, integrated performance assessment tasks at the benchmark levels of proficiency, novice-mid, intermediate-low and pre-advanced as defined by the ACTFL…

Statistical and measurement properties are examined for features used in essay assessment to determine the generalizability of the features across populations, prompts, and individuals. Data are employed from TOEFL® and GMAT® examinations and from writing for Criterion?.

Theories of human cognition and language suggest that there is a gap between the phases of perception and the phases of production of language. Unfortunately, this is often forgotten in language teaching, so that beginners' courses too frequently contain simplified and non-authentic linguistic input to assure that output does not lag too far…

As videocassettes of foreign films become more available, teachers will be able to show more films and bring students closer to the second language and culture. However, unfocused viewing will not develop language and cultural proficiency adequately. Class time is better spent in preparing for or reacting to the film than in viewing the film in…

A common problem in second language instruction is the lack of correlation between the content of courseware and the specific learning situation of the student. Students using the available programs encounter unfamiliar words and structures, deviant methodologies, or inappropriate levels of difficulty. This causes unnecessary errors and…

Materials from a teacher workshop on the Total Physical Response method for teaching English as a second language are presented. The technique describes the process of first language acquisition, uses physical activities in the classroom to reinforce learning, and allows a long period of receptive language learning before requiring production. The…

The Literacy Volunteers of America-Danbury, Connecticut, is a nonprofit community organization that provides free instruction in English for those to whom English is still largely a foreign language. For 10 years it has also provided free instruction in reading and writing for English-speaking persons whose education has not provided these skills.…

Very young Spanish-English bilingual children may not perceive sound-clue illustrations presented in the classroom as they are intended to be perceived. For example, when a child is told, "A is for apple," he may also interpret the message as "A is for manzana," confusing the intended message. While the teacher may hear English only, the child's…

A collection of papers addresses three aspects of the learning and use of French as a second language in Africa. The first two chapters look at the sociolinguistic dimension; the first examines the language question and language consciousness in parts of Africa where French was once or is still used as an official or "second" language.…

This manual presents instructional units designed to offer a break from daily classroom routines in German instruction. These audio-motor units provide variety and listening practice, introduce new vocabulary in context, and present cultural materials in a novel way. Suggestions for classroom use include acting out commands, using gestures,…

A review of the literature and current technology focuses on the determination of what strategies and methods are appropriate for computer-assisted language learning (CALL). A brief overview is presented regarding the historical development and non-use (to its full potential) of the computer in the education field, and particularly in the area of…

The potential of the computer in helping foreign language students learn to use the grammatical principles of the target language for communicative purposes is discussed. A philosophical contrast between the terms of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) and computer-assisted language learning (CALL) precedes a discussion of current approaches to…