This article concerns the contribution that feedback makes to valid classroom assessment of the writing of young learners (YLs), defined here as approximately 9-13 years old. It shows that a scale of descriptors adapted from the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" (CEFR; Council of Europe, 2001) can play a central role…

There is a shortage of second/foreign language (S/FL) teachers in many parts of the world and the attrition rates are startling. The present study, grounded in social cognitive theory, investigates Canadian and US teachers' (N = 1065) sense of efficacy in teaching languages as it relates to teacher attrition. Findings indicate that S/FL teachers…

The present study investigates the functions that language learners attribute to the first language (L1) within a teaching context that maximizes the target language (TL). Beginners of French in an Australian university (N = 52) completed a questionnaire consisting of 21 closed questions on their views on L1/TL use and two open questions on the…

I define the "literacy autobiography" as a reflective, first-person account of one's development as a writing being. In this article I share a classroom practice that invited language learners to consider and compose their literacy autobiographies (LA). The context was a university credit English as a second language (ESL) classroom. The purposes…

This case study examines the patterns of participation of one US-educated refugee student in a university intensive English program (IEP). Specifically, I illustrate how the focal student used her advanced oral proficiency and prior experience with US educational norms and practices to engage in various interactional behaviours, such as shifting…

Recent trends in classroom evaluation seek innovative formative assessment intended to benefit learning, called assessment for learning (AFL), largely unresearched in the second language (L2) classroom (Rea-Dickins, 2004). This paper calls for taking L2 testing research to the next level, investigating the "usefulness" (Bachman & Palmer, 1996;…

This article is about the benefits of self-assessment and its use in language education. The main focus is on "auto-evaluation" as a means of beginning class in an organized and motivating way. In contrast to "bell work" or other start-of-period activities on random topics, "auto-evaluation" involves asking questions that are closely tied to what…

Illustrates that project work can be fun, inspiring, challenging, pedagogically valuable, and practical for teachers and students. Using the project, "build a green home," designed for secondary English-as-a-Foreign-language students in Hong Kong, as an example, provides tips for making project work less daunting and more teacher- and…

Discusses the cloze procedure, in which words of a passage are deleted and the reader is asked to supply the missing word. Provides five different options for using the cloze procedure; illustrations of each option are appended. (Author/VWL)

Reports the use of students' native language by teachers in the foreign language classroom. The project was undertaken by French teachers in Australia. The teachers' aim was to investigate the use of the native language in a context that actively promotes an immersion approach to foreign language teaching (Author/VWL)

Outlines reasons why electronic mail, and specifically e-mail exchanges, are valuable tools for promoting authentic target language interaction in the second language (L2) classroom. Research examining the use of e-mail exchanges on the L2 learning process is outlined, followed by one specific example of an e-mail exchange in a secondary core…

Looks at the Quebecois TV show, "Un gars, Une fille" used in a university French course to teach the socio-cultural reality that underlies all linguistic utterances in a university-level French course. Attempts to identify what makes the show more authentic than videos and CD ROMs that accompany most language textbooks in French. (Author/VWL)

Outlines writing activities for the foreign language literature class that promote critical reflection, writing fluency, and successful classroom interaction. (Author/VWL)

Describes a range of reading and writing tasks that were used in a first-year university classroom with a view to helping students better understand the concept of coherence, which is crucial to both reading and writing. The technique involves a range of reading-writing coherence awareness-raising tasks that shift students' attention from the low…

Examines the integration of grammar into second-language instruction, specifically in core French courses in Canada. A brief overview of studies on this topic in different settings is followed by an attempt to demonstrate how the limited results of available studies can offer a starting point for finding solutions to the problems of integrating…