Provides information on software tools, technologies, strategies for evaluation, and factoring-in teaching considerations. Also included is an extensive review of computer-assisted language learning materials and a software evaluation questionnaire. (16 references) (GLR)

Introduces the term "orgware" and reviews the literature on managing technological innovation in instructional settings. Six areas of management concern are described, and advice on managing innovation and change is provided. (11 references) (GLR)

Provides practical information on multimedia and mass storage devices, productivity tools and authoring systems, and software/hardware compatibility for language training. Also provided is an extensive list of recommendations for creating effective software and another for selecting, developing, and adapting software. (GLR)

Reviews principles for hardware selection, and forecasts the state of technology in terms of fidelity, feedback, and open architecture in language training. (six references) (GLR)

Examines the rating scale and the testing procedure of the oral interview for evidence of discourse competence. The paper suggests that a careful examination of the processing capabilities might serve as a valid indicator of their discourse competence. (24 references) (GLR)

Suggests that, to understand the relationship between grammatical competence and actual communicative language use, a model is needed of classroom language processing that considers learners' own connections between meaning and form as a major factor in language use and language acquisition. (nine references) (GLR)

Deals with the construct of educated native speaker (ENS) speech, which constitutes the implicit target norm in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Proficiency Guidelines. It is argued that, in classroom foreign language instruction, such a target is too restrictive, and as an alternative, a multitarget model of language…

Discusses the issues related to the testing of listening comprehension in the context of the 1986 American Council Teaching Foreign Language Proficiency Guidelines. Four issues are singled out: the meaning of context in testing listening; the concept of criterion-referenced tests; the notion of specific purposes in testing; and the use of…

Two closely related concepts are explored, with a selective review of research since publication of "The Learner-Centered Curriculum" in 1988. Practical ideas are presented for experimenting with learner-centeredness in foreign language teaching, including examples of specific strategies such as scanning and brainstorming. (Contains 20…

Working definitions of proficiency and performance in language testing are established, and their role in multidimensional testing is examined. The discussion also covers the relationship between proficiency and performance, a comparison of both types of tests, and performance test scoring dilemmas. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/LB)

Third semester college students of French viewed part of a film, read part, and then were given a surprise vocabulary test with colloquial words from the text. Their performance, compared to a control group, suggests that incidental vocabulary acquisition is possible in a foreign language situation. The test is appended. (Contains eight…

A discussion of gender differences in human development and language use is followed by reports of research on styles and strategies in learning a second or foreign language. Instructional implications for second-language classrooms are highlighted. (Contains 100 references.) (Author/LB)

A multilanguage project for development of a foreign-language curriculum is reported along with the teaching method that has evolved from it. The method is represented primarily in a set of "mini-courses," each being a short introduction to a given language. (Contains 34 references.) (Author/LB)

Focusing on a project in curricular innovation at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), this paper reviews in what sense a task-based approach to syllabus design constitutes an innovation. Then, the UIUC model of curricular innovation is outlined and is analyzed for the extent to which a complete, coherent process of innovation…

Addresses the renewed debate on cooperative learning in foreign language classrooms. First, the rationale for communicative language teaching in foreign language instruction is reported. Focus then shifts to research on potential drawbacks of communicative language teaching. Second, the role computers can play in cooperative learning is discussed,…