This study investigated the effects of simultaneously reading and listening to the same text on comprehension and fluency gains for basic-level English language learners at a university in Puerto Rico. The quiz scores and fluency rates of two English lab groups (n = 69) who read and listened to E. B. White's novel "Charlotte's Web" were compared…

It is essential that preservice teachers and language learners understand why creativity is important and how creative thinking skills might be enhanced during language and content study. It is equally important that learners be given opportunities to express themselves creatively and that they are supported in doing so. To meet these goals,…

This article discusses theoretical and practical aspects pertaining to oral presentations in the EFL context. It discusses issues and proposes ideas concerning the advantages of presentations, types of presentations, ways of arranging presentations in the classroom, possible topics of presentations and sources of data and information obtained for…

After years of studying academic English, many students are ready to move beyond language designed for the classroom, or what Yoshida (2001) calls "fishbowl" English, to the language of the "open sea." As students develop beyond the beginner level, they are ready to read and discuss appropriate authentic texts. Even students who are unsure of…

The school district in Middletown, New York, in the state's Orange County, today serves close to 7,000 students in four elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. The district is classified by the state in the highest of three Need-to-Resource-Capacity groups, an urban or suburban school district with high student needs in…

After noting the disconnect between students' passionate oral stories and their lifeless writing, an adult education instructor made specific instructional and curriculum changes in an ESOL reading and writing course. All changes served the purpose of teaching the element of voice in second language writing. The instructor used the issue of…

This investigation conducted at a private faith-based university explored how graduate course work can impact teachers' knowledge, skills, and dispositions regarding English language development. Specifically, the investigators examined the nature and extent of change in attitude by teachers and teacher candidates who participated in a…

Although learning objectives are a hallmark of lesson planning, it is rare for these to be shared with learners, even though best practices suggest doing so. This article examines the practice of establishing purpose for English language learners as a means for developing conceptual schemas. Participants in this study were 332 southern California…

The use of definite and indefinite articles in English is well known to be a major point of difficulty for many nonnative English speakers. These difficulties prevail even when the speakers are fluent in most other aspects of English grammar and style. This article investigates the pedagogical and linguistic reasons why article use is such a…

The author, a teacher educator, explains that because of a lack of training in language studies, many teachers do not view language as linguists do. She identifies three misconceptions (and the implications they have for English language learners) that still persist in education: Standard English is the best and most correct form of English,…

Several scholars have investigated the strengths and weaknesses of native-English-speaking (NES) and nonnative-English-speaking (NNES) teachers of English as a second language (ESL), but few researchers have explored intensive English program (IEP) administrators' and ESL teachers' perspectives on teacher training and the strengths and weaknesses…

Critical thinking skills remain at the forefront of educational discussions. These higher order thinking processes, including but not limited to reflection, inference, and synthesizing information, enable individuals to make reasoned judgments not only in the classroom but in everyday life. School systems demand that critical thinking be…

The article examines the effect of two factors on achievement test scores in English as a foreign language for specific purposes in higher education: preexisting linguistic competence and frequency of use of language learner strategies. The rationale for the analysis of language learner strategies as a factor affecting achievement test outcomes is…

This multicase study investigated the impact of high-stakes testing on the literacy practices of teachers of high school English language learners (ELLs) in three Long Island, New York, school districts, in one of the most racially and socioeconomically segregated regions of the United States. The goal of the study was to explore what kinds of…

Educators are concerned with providing support in the classroom for all students. This is particularly true with students who are learning English as a second or additional language. In the past 10 years, even teachers in remote and rural areas of the United States have felt the impact of immigration and sought professional development for working…