Discusses the need to incorporate form-focused activities into second-language communication instruction, and suggests pedagogical strategies for doing so. Provides examples of tasks that may help realize this goal. Examines relevant empirical evidence on the effectiveness of such tasks. (Author/MSE)

Describes one teacher's use of creative skits in a college-level beginning Japanese language course. Each student must participate in two skits. Preparatory activities, required linguistic elements, use of props, teacher input into scripts, and methods and criteria for evaluation of performance are outlined. Possible difficulties and solutions and…

Argues that oral grammar correction in second-language classrooms produces overwhelming problems both in making corrections and dealing with their harmful side effects, and that the practice should be discontinued. Research evidence suggests that oral correction does not improve learners' ability to speak grammatically, and no good reasons have…

Argues that in Ontario's French-medium schools, reading is often a challenge, particularly for those in readiness classes who speak little or no French. A model for early intervention in reading is recommended, combining reading and writing to address the linguistic challenges of students in a minority-language community. (Author/MSE)

Describes a course for college French majors that uses drama and instruction in nonverbal communication in an intensive oral language experience and cultural exploration. French and Quebec plays are rehearsed and performed by students for the university community, both francophone and anglophone. (MSE)

Describes a technique for teaching the French prepositions "a and de" by explaining the syntactic process implicit in verbs that are followed by those prepositions. Outlines sentence structure based on several verb types. (MSE)

Examines how application of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and information technology can be used to overcome "grammar deficit" seen in many British undergraduate German students. A combination of explicit, implicit, and exploratory grammar teaching approaches uses diverse resources, including word processing packages, electronic…

Describes a prototypical microcomputer system that improves the interactions between teacher and large language classes in a traditional language classroom setting. This system achieves dynamic interactions through multiple student/professor interventions, immediate and delayed feedback, and individual teacher/student conferences. The system uses…

Presents an approach to language and culture instruction for North American students of Spanish that centers on student-led investigations of cultural identity in the Americas, designed to allow students to overcome possible stereotypes and generalizations concerning the target culture(s), and to examine their own cultural identities at the same…

Presents a number of suggestions for using reading circles in elementary school French second-language instruction, including reading text selection, grouping, organizing discussions, knowing when to intervene, and student assessment techniques such as reading logs, passports, critical presentations, and negotiated evaluations. (MSE)

Three essays on second-language instruction are presented. One describes a letter exchange between teachers as a means of exploring and understanding classroom and instructional issues; another (in French) describes a teacher's reflective examination of the immersion teaching experience; and a third reports on a classroom study of the…

Describes a method used to identify and correct errors made by French Canadian learners of English, studying at a total-immersion summer program. (AM)

Describes the "Almanach Vermot," a type of encyclopedia on French language and culture, and indicates ways in which this publication may be of use in the French classroom. (AM)

Presents some pointers for designing a course in reading technical or scientific Russian. (AM)

Presents a novel approach, relying on linguistic principles of semantics, to teach grammatical usage in Spanish as a second language. (AM)