This paper is a report of the proceedings and a synthesis of discussion from a conference on the state of basic skills in American education held in Racine, Wisconsin, in April 1977. The participants were national education leaders, including specialists in different curriculum areas, legislators, public school administrators, and leaders from…

The ability to "image," or to conjure up verbal and nonverbal pictures, is fundamental to language arts activities. This paper lists eight imaging skills, which involve attention to details, sizes, multiple images, viewpoint, lighting, perspective, emotions, and structure, and suggests that each of these skills may be taught in conjunction with…

Four forces seem to be at work in society today that have implications for language teaching. First, the interdependence of planet Earth has become a reality that has increased general awareness of the presence of speakers of other languages among us and awareness on the part of government leaders of the need to encourage foreign language studies.…

In a speech on minimum competency testing, the author discusses four issues which are still unresolved. The first is the need to recognize the political overtones which gave impetus to the competency movement as a reaction against the perceived failures of the schools and teacher education institutions, rather than as a concern for student…