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Articles 151 - 180 of 183
Full-Text Articles in Language and Literacy Education
Engaging Students In The L2 Reading Process, Marcia L. Wilbur
Engaging Students In The L2 Reading Process, Marcia L. Wilbur
Dimensions
This article will consider a necessary departure from more traditional paradigms, where speaking skills are the primary focus and in which reading is viewed as something intermediate or advanced learners do with authentic literature once they have mastered a particular level of grammatical structures. Instead, reading will be considered as an important component of L2 instruction that, when included along side other input modes, can enrich students’ second language acquisition. Concepts and strategies on which to build classroom practices as well as practical suggestions for implementing pre-, during-, and post-reading activities are included. Considerations that place learners at the center …
Flteach Project: Online Database Of Model Lessons With Cultural Content, Jean W. Leloup, Robert Ponterio
Flteach Project: Online Database Of Model Lessons With Cultural Content, Jean W. Leloup, Robert Ponterio
Dimensions
Foreign language teachers are busy professionals who could benefit from ready access to educational materials that address the Standards for Foreign Language Learning and are also useful to their own particular curricula. This article will explain a project funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities that provides such access through the creation and development of an online database of FL lesson plans that are Standards-based, follow sound pedagogical models, use authentic materials, and focus on cultural content. The article describes the project rationale, the structure of the database, and procedures for submitting lesson materials. Pedagogical models (Interactive Model for …
Uses Of Blogs In L2 Instruction, Zachary Jones, Bernice Nuhfer-Halten
Uses Of Blogs In L2 Instruction, Zachary Jones, Bernice Nuhfer-Halten
Dimensions
Blogs are one of the newest tools in L2 instruction. This article offers a brief overview of the literature on blogs in L2 teaching and an outline of how they can be used in class to encourage language production and cultural awareness in learners. Also detailed are conceptual and practical concerns related to these activities. Finally, an overview is presented of what students think of using blogs, and a few topics are proposed for further research.
Developing A Contemporary French Civilization Course:An Annotated Review Of Internet Resources, Kenneth A. Gordon
Developing A Contemporary French Civilization Course:An Annotated Review Of Internet Resources, Kenneth A. Gordon
Dimensions
Identifying appropriate materials for a class on contemporary French civilization is a challenge. Even the newest texts are somewhat out of date when they arrive. Resources available on the Internet present a solution to this problem. However, the sheer number of Web sites can be overwhelming. The quality and reliability of material provided can vary widely, and one often encounters dead links when using any of the major search engines. The most comprehensive and academically sound sites tend to be those maintained by cultural institutions, universities, government ministries, and similar groups. In the manner of an annotated bibliography, this essay …
The Roads To Compostela: An Immersion Experience In Germany, France, And Spain, Steven M. Gardner, Carlos Mentley, Lisa F. Signori
The Roads To Compostela: An Immersion Experience In Germany, France, And Spain, Steven M. Gardner, Carlos Mentley, Lisa F. Signori
Dimensions
Following a medieval pilgrimage route in Europe provides the student of languages with an exceptional opportunity for immersion in European language, culture, and history from the Middle Ages to the present. One of the most important of these is the Road to Santiago de Compostela. Although usually associated with Spain, pilgrimage routes to Santiago cross Germany and France as well. This article explains the rationale behind and outlines the preparations for an academically oriented undertaking of the German Jakobsweg, the French Chemin de St. Jacques, and the Spanish Camino de Santiago. It presents a cohesive linguistic and cultural program for …
Talking About Music:Ethnographic Interviews On Traditional Hispanic Songs, Paula Heusinkveld
Talking About Music:Ethnographic Interviews On Traditional Hispanic Songs, Paula Heusinkveld
Dimensions
This article proposes a variety of activities designed to enrich the study of authentic Hispanic music in the foreign language class. As an integral part of any lesson on a culturally authentic song, students interview native speakers, both in and out of class, to learn about the cultural context of various songs. Of special interest are songs that have strong associations with specific cultural practices, such as “Las mañanitas.” In other assignments, students interview native speakers about their musical tastes, seek out songs from native informants, and then share these songs with the class. The cultural information obtained from the …
Using Computer Translation Websites To Further The Objectives Of The Foreign Language Standards, David C. Alley
Using Computer Translation Websites To Further The Objectives Of The Foreign Language Standards, David C. Alley
Dimensions
Inexperienced students of foreign languages often equate learning a language with translation. Armed with a bilingual dictionary, students convert their sophisticated English thoughts into tortured German, French, or Spanish. The widespread use of computer translation Web sites has only compounded this problem. Students’ reliance on translation as a primary strategy for foreign language learning reveals some fundamental misconceptions about language and translation. Standard 4.1 of the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (1999) states that comparisons of the target and native languages can help students better understand the language learning process and the limitations of translation. Ironically, …
Rebuilding A Dying Foreign Language Education Program, Karen Verkler
Rebuilding A Dying Foreign Language Education Program, Karen Verkler
Dimensions
Handed an undergraduate foreign language education program that was dying and in danger of being eliminated from the curriculum of the College of Education at the University of Central Florida, the author was directed to rebuild it. The author shares the results of formative evaluation of the program and steps taken to effect program enhancement. The areas of revision were all-encompassing: revamping the program to reflect current teacher certification requirements, modifying course content to address current foreign language trends and research, changing the clinical experience to include K-8 levels, initiating program and course offering advertisement, improving the advisement of foreign …
Developing Vocabulary Beyond The Word, Marian M. Brodman
Developing Vocabulary Beyond The Word, Marian M. Brodman
Dimensions
Research in second language acquisition has generated new knowledge about the operations of the brain and the way it facilitates the learning of vocabulary. In addition, the field of corpus linguistics has brought us new information about words and the ways in which they are used in texts—their frequency, the words often occurring with them in the same text, and their syntactical features. The article will discuss the implications of this language acquisition research for second language teachers as they assist their students in developing knowledge of the lexis. Going beyond the word to prefabricated phrases and word associations can …
Effects Of Flex Programs On Elementary Students’ Attitudes Towards Foreign Languages And Cultures, Krista S. Chambless
Effects Of Flex Programs On Elementary Students’ Attitudes Towards Foreign Languages And Cultures, Krista S. Chambless
Dimensions
A recent study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of early foreign language programs on elementary school children’s attitudes and motivation to learn a foreign language. Specifically, the researcher investigated the impact of a 3-week foreign language exploratory (FLEX) program, the Small World Program, on students’ attitudes toward the languages and cultures that had been studied, as well as those that had not been studied. The researcher further assessed the impact of the FLEX program on the individual students’ desire to engage in further foreign language learning. Finally, the study compared attitudes of the FLEX program participants with those of …
Languages And Language Learners
The Reading Process: Realistic Expectations For Reading In Lower-Level Language Courses, Robert M. Terry
The Reading Process: Realistic Expectations For Reading In Lower-Level Language Courses, Robert M. Terry
Dimensions
Teaching reading in lower-level language courses does not mean teaching classical literary texts to students who are just beginning to learn the intricacies of another language. We must separate the pragmatic realities of introducing students to a new language, of delving into a text written in that language, and of understanding the essence of the author’s message from the cognitive performance of analyzing a text and of being able to read between the lines. Students will begin to reach the level of reading abilities that we anticipate and expect in upper-level courses only when they have been taught how to …
Improving Foreign Language Writing Competence, Carmen Schlig
Improving Foreign Language Writing Competence, Carmen Schlig
Dimensions
Process writing has long been used in English-language composition and English as a Second Language courses, and in recent years it has been adopted in foreign language classes as well. Nevertheless, many teachers and learners still see foreign language writing as an exercise in perfecting grammar and vocabulary. Explicit instruction on the process of insightful writing is unusual in the foreign language classroom. This article presents a study of third-year Spanish courses and addresses (1) whether the different modalities of error correction promote improvement of writing skills and (2) whether students’ awareness of the processes of reading and writing favors …
Graduate Teaching Assistant Training: Pathways To Success, Darrell J. Dernoshek, Lara C. Ducate
Graduate Teaching Assistant Training: Pathways To Success, Darrell J. Dernoshek, Lara C. Ducate
Dimensions
Graduate teaching assistant (GTA) training is integral to the successful operation of introductory foreign language (FL) classes at many post-secondary institutions. Addressing the improvement of GTA supervision and the overall quality of introductory-level language classes, this study consists first of an overview of the most current practices in GTA training in the United States. The second part of the article presents the parameters of the qualitative study on GTAs in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at the University of South Carolina-Columbia (USC Columbia). The study itself consists of the following: (1) peer observations of GTAs, in which the …
Assessment And Assessment Design 1994-2004: An Annotated Bibliography, Carol Wilkerson
Assessment And Assessment Design 1994-2004: An Annotated Bibliography, Carol Wilkerson
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This article describes an authentic assessment project developed at the Center for Western European Studies in conjunction with the University of Pittsburgh. For this project, Adair-Hauck was asked to identify four to five second language teachers who might be interested in forming a focus group to pilot-test some alternative assessment strategies. Five high school teachers from three school districts met regularly with Adair-Hauck to discuss problems, concerns, and solutions for integrating authentic assessment into classroom instruction. Results of these discussions and a number of assessment tools are presented.
Building Bridges For International Internships, Sharron Gray Abernethy
Building Bridges For International Internships, Sharron Gray Abernethy
Dimensions
Most universities regard internships as key elements in the development of strong programs in foreign language and international trade education. However, it is widely recognized that a successful internship program is difficult to establish and even more difficult to sustain. This article describes the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s foreign language international trade internship program and outlines the process the author used to establish it locally in year one and expand it to an international program in year two. The Business and International Education Office (BIE) of the U.S. Department of Education considers our program to be a model, and …
No Child Left Behind In Foreign Language Education, Lynne Mcclendon
No Child Left Behind In Foreign Language Education, Lynne Mcclendon
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The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act, is one of the most sweeping educational reform movements in recent times. While there are many subcomponents of this Act, one area specifically touches on foreign language education: “highly qualified teachers.” This article examines the term “highly qualified teacher” as defined by NCLB, as well as effective practices highly qualified foreign language teachers, curriculum program specialists, and college of education instructors can employ to leave no child behind in foreign language education. Using this information, teachers, curriculum program specialists, and college of education instructors …
Using Learner And Teacher Preparation Standards To Reform A Language Major, Rosalie M. Cheatham
Using Learner And Teacher Preparation Standards To Reform A Language Major, Rosalie M. Cheatham
Dimensions
While foreign language educators in many university programs have worked to modify courses to reflect the emerging research on the best practices for enabling language acquisition by student learners, the overall curriculum design of language majors remains very similar to structures in place more than two decades ago. This article describes a series of initiatives that have led to a major redesign of a French curriculum at a state university that uses as its organizing principle the two recently developed professional Standards documents: the Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century (National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project, …
Assessing Readiness Of Foreign Language Education Majors To Take The Praxis Ii Exam, Carol Wilkerson, Judith H. Schomber, Jana Sandarg
Assessing Readiness Of Foreign Language Education Majors To Take The Praxis Ii Exam, Carol Wilkerson, Judith H. Schomber, Jana Sandarg
Dimensions
Ten of the 13 states in the Southern Conference on Language Teaching (SCOLT) region require the Praxis II Exam for teacher licensure in French, German, or Spanish. Perceptions of high failure rates on this exam call into question the quality of teacher education programs. Test takers and reviewers find required tasks and performance levels on the Praxis II unaligned with the expectations for beginning teachers established by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). After describing the sections of the exam and their limitations, this article offers strategies to prepare students for the tasks required and ways …
The Tpr Test: Total Physical Response As An Assessment Tool, Scott T. Grubbs
The Tpr Test: Total Physical Response As An Assessment Tool, Scott T. Grubbs
Dimensions
The exigencies of producing students who are able to meet the demands of the global society have given second language study a new sense of purpose and importance among educators and policy-makers. Proficiency assessment, however, still relies heavily upon traditional discrete-item testing that focuses on grammatical structures and is often devoid of meaningful context. Total Physical Response (TPR), long a mainstay of foreign language instruction, has been frequently overlooked as a viable means for assessing proficiency. TPR is not only a valid means for gauging foreign language proficiency at increasingly complex levels, but it is capable of reinforcing core foreign …
Assessing The Impact Of Narrow Listening: Students’ Perceptions And Performance, Victoria Rodrigo
Assessing The Impact Of Narrow Listening: Students’ Perceptions And Performance, Victoria Rodrigo
Dimensions
Narrow listening (NL) is an approach to developing listening skills at intermediate to advanced levels. NL refers to listening to a single segment extensively and repeatedly for the purpose of meaning. The first part of this article reviews the listening material available in the foreign language setting and presents a case for introducing NL. It is followed by a study of students’ perceptions of this approach and their performance on a listening comprehension test (N = 100). The results indicate that the practice of NL using audio library material is not only perceived as a useful and stimulating learning experience …
Accounting For Activity: Cognition And Oral Proficiency Assessment, Miguel Mantero
Accounting For Activity: Cognition And Oral Proficiency Assessment, Miguel Mantero
Dimensions
Framing the present investigation within activity theory, this research analyzes the speaking guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and places the role of cognition and co-construction of meaning at the forefront of determining oral proficiency in a foreign language. Eight Spanish Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPIs) were analyzed in an effort to understand the overall role of cognition in developing and assessing oral proficiency. The findings are that although the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines–Speaking provide for an understanding of the various linguistic functions involved in speaking, they do not completely reflect the level of cognition evident …
Assessment Practices In Foreign Language Education
Assessment Practices In Foreign Language Education
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SCOLT Dimensions Volume 39
Student Electronic Portfolio Assessment, Denise Egéa-Kuehne
Student Electronic Portfolio Assessment, Denise Egéa-Kuehne
Dimensions
A brief review of the traditional types of assessment used in second language education is followed by a discussion of the limitations of standardized testing. The author then addresses the challenge of assessing a student’s development over time with a performance-based approach, showing how one alternative assessment form, the electronic portfolio, can help teachers keep track of a student’s progress over a long period of time and also provide valuable information for curriculum specialists, principals, school boards, parents, and the community. The technologies necessary to support the development of electronic portfolios and its stepby-step procedures are described.
The Transnational Classroom: Connecting People, Languages, And Cultures, Lourdes Sánchez-López, Jessica Ramos-Harthun
The Transnational Classroom: Connecting People, Languages, And Cultures, Lourdes Sánchez-López, Jessica Ramos-Harthun
Dimensions
With the aid of computer technology and students’ firsthand experiences, the Transnational Classroom (TC), a pilot innovative project created and developed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), was implemented in the summer of 2002 for a duration of three and a half weeks. The participants were two groups of students from the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures: a study-abroad group in Costa Rica and a Spanish class on the U.S. campus. The main objective of the project was to give the U.S. campus students the opportunity to participate in the foreign culture through their peers’ experiences and …
Stepping Out Of The Classroom To Increase Spanish Language Skills And Cultural Awareness, Betina Kaplan, Teresa Pérez-Gamboa
Stepping Out Of The Classroom To Increase Spanish Language Skills And Cultural Awareness, Betina Kaplan, Teresa Pérez-Gamboa
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This article describes the experience of our college-level Spanish students who stepped out of their campus classrooms and into elementary school libraries, corridors, and classrooms to develop an exchange program. Chase Street Elementary School, like many other elementary schools in Athens, Georgia, has a large Hispanic student population composed mostly of recent immigrants with limited English proficiency. This experience served not only the Hispanic community of Athens, but our college students as well. Our students contribute to the reduction of the language barrier that separates teachers from students and their families, and, at the same time, they have the unique …
Merging Foreign Language Theory And Practice In Designing Technology-Based Tasks, Lara Lomicka, Gillian Lord, Melanie Manzer
Merging Foreign Language Theory And Practice In Designing Technology-Based Tasks, Lara Lomicka, Gillian Lord, Melanie Manzer
Dimensions
While educators are aware of the benefits of technology in language instruction, one challenge they face is how to implement effective interactive technology-based tasks. Technology offers numerous advantages, yet it is not without some drawbacks. Terry (1998) notes that the purpose of using technology should be clear and pedagogical; it should not be used “to fill (or kill) time” (p. 282). The goal of this article is to integrate the theory of technology instruction with the creation of well-designed tasks. To that end, we examine recent research in computer-assisted language learning (CALL) as well as online learning. We offer ideas …
Creating Narrated Multimedia Presentations In The Second And Foreign Language Class, Janet Flewelling
Creating Narrated Multimedia Presentations In The Second And Foreign Language Class, Janet Flewelling
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With increasing frequency, teachers are being encouraged to integrate technology into their teaching programs. Their challenge is to find technological applications that promote and enhance learning on the part of their students. A further challenge for second and foreign language teachers is to ensure that the applications reflect principles associated with communicative teaching. This article discusses how students can create narrated multimedia presentations that can be published on the Internet. Suitable for second and foreign language programs at any grade level, this activity would facilitate and encourage authentic communication while developing technological and organizational skills. It would also lend itself …
Intasc Model Foreign Language Standards For Beginning Teacher Licensing And Development, Carmen Chaves Tesser, Marty Abbott
Intasc Model Foreign Language Standards For Beginning Teacher Licensing And Development, Carmen Chaves Tesser, Marty Abbott
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The Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) is a nonprofit organization representing 57 chief education officers who, through the Council of Chief State School Officers, are responsible for setting state education policy. INTASC standards address what beginning teachers should know, how they should behave, and what they should be able to do. At the present time, 33 states and territories are members of INTASC. In May 2002, a committee of 18 practicing teachers and teacher educators with expertise in a variety of languages and nominated by their professional organizations completed the drafting of the INTASC Foreign Language Standards …