Composition instruction in Japan's two-year colleges must build on the English learned in earlier education and undo the problems created by the grammar-translation method. In addition, it must often develop creativity and critical-thinking skills not commonly taught in the Japanese educational system. One teacher's approach is to stress…

Intended for educators, policymakers, and anyone concerned with the nation's reading skills, this booklet draws on four recent reports in the Nation's Report Card series, which are based on findings of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The first chapter discusses two important components of literacy--the ability to achieve a…

The Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) was developed by the Texas Educational Agency (TEA), in response to Texas House Bill 72 (1984), which mandated a new basic skills assessment program for mathematics, reading, and writing at grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. The test given to students in Grade 11 is an exit-level examination,…

This compilation of four issues of the Japan Association of Language Teachers Journal (JALT) covers the years 1982-1984. The four issues contain a total of 21 articles, as follows: "Communicative Needs in Foreign Language Learning" (Jack C. Richards); "Language Proficiency Interview Testing" (David J. Keitges);…

In celebration of the International Year of the Child (IYC), this journal (1) proposes two additions to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child: the right to be well taught and the right to be taught a love of reading and writing; and (2) provides practical suggestions for teachers, parents, students, and principals to help them actively…

This guide is intended for adult educators who work with limited English-speaking students in need of special literacy instruction. It was developed as an outgrowth of classes with adult English as a Second Language (ESL) students from diverse cultural backgrounds. Many of the students had little formal schooling in their native languages. The…

Noting that most junior high level curricula do not take into account students' rapid mental and physical changes, the articles in this focused journal issue recommend works and teaching strategies that harmonize with these student needs. The titles and their authors are as follows: (1) "Adolescent Development and the Growth of Writing…

Written to assist the classroom teacher of limited or non-English speaking students, this manual suggests ways to teach the four components of language--listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Each component is handled in a separate section that provides theoretical background followed by suggestions for instruction that can be adapted for…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 33 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) the relative frequency of various practices for teaching writing as perceived by authorities in the field; (2) the experience of composition and word…

Assembled from perceptual data gathered from questionnaires, this report outlines teachers' and administrators' opinions based on their first year's experience teaching handwriting (the Beginner's Alphabet) to first grade children using a new syllabus. Nine supporting tables are included and response statistics are detailed (Appendix 1 contains…

Since 1985, students taking English 101, the basic composition course at Shoreline Community College (SCC) in Seattle, Washington, have been required to take the Nelson-Denny Reading Test and submit a piece of writing for holistic grading. The introduction of the testing process prompted several questions among students and faculty about what the…

Arguing that practice without theory is destructive, this books deals with the theory, philosophy, and application of a variety of subjects within the area of composition. The nine chapters of the first section of the book constitute a state-of-the-art essay and discuss such topics as J. Emig's 1971 study of the composing process and the more…

The 28 essays in this journal issue focus on methodology, interpretation, and classroom application of research in the language arts. Following a preface on the role of research in English instruction, the topics discussed include the following: (1) a research base for a large-scale evaluation of writing; (2) implications of teaching writing as…

A study examined the effectiveness of a set of instructional activities designed to improve communication of university freshmen in standard-level, first-semester English through teaching interrelatedly the reading of prose literature and the writing of expository essays. Subjects, 24 typical first-semester freshmen, participated in the course,…

Using Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn," John Knowles'"A Separate Peace," and Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings," a study examined the effects of Astute Activities--teaching techniques which increase students' cognitive ability and creativity--on student performance in two senior English classes in a small…