Showing papers in "The Modern Language Journal in 1992"
TL;DR: The Nature of Qualitative Inquiry Theoretical Orientations Particularly Appropriate Qualitative Applications as mentioned in this paper, and Qualitative Interviewing: Qualitative Analysis and Interpretation Enhancing the quality and credibility of qualitative analysis and interpretation.
Abstract: PART ONE: CONCEPTUAL ISSUES IN THE USE OF QUALITATIVE METHODS The Nature of Qualitative Inquiry Strategic Themes in Qualitative Methods Variety in Qualitative Inquiry Theoretical Orientations Particularly Appropriate Qualitative Applications PART TWO: QUALITATIVE DESIGNS AND DATA COLLECTION Designing Qualitative Studies Fieldwork Strategies and Observation Methods Qualitative Interviewing PART THREE: ANALYSIS, INTERPRETATION, AND REPORTING Qualitative Analysis and Interpretation Enhancing the Quality and Credibility of Qualitative Analysis
31,305 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined the effects of students' anxiety on performance on an oral test of French and investigated the attitudes of selected highly anxious students towards that exam, and argued that although many variables may interact to affect language learning, foreign language anxiety should be of considerable concern to language educators and students because of its potential impact, not only on performance of oral tests, but also on students' affective reactions, hence their attitudes toward language learning in general.
Abstract: the development of students' speaking proficiency is considerable. This concern with oral competence, however, may be intensifying the already high levels of foreign language anxiety experienced by some learners. Research suggests that the oral skill is problematic for second language learners (22; 40; 42; 45; 49); although students indicate they are most interested in developing their capacity to communicate verbally in the target language (33), the anxiety they experience may have a debilitating impact on their ability to speak it. Unfortunately, this apprehension will likely be intensified by the ever-growing use of communicative oral testing, for research also provides ample evidence that anxiety increases in evaluative situations (55). This paper reports on a study that examined the effects of students' anxiety on performance on an oral test of French and investigates the attitudes of selected highly anxious students towards that exam. I argue that, although many variables may interact to affect language learning, foreign language anxiety should be of considerable concern to language educators and students because of its potential impact, not only on performance on oral tests, but also on students' affective reactions, hence their attitudes toward language learning in general.
530 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss how learners process different kinds of authentic input and whether or not gender differences reported in previous second language (L2) research figure in the processing of, comprehension of, or affective response to authentic input.
Abstract: and written text is becoming increasingly popular in the foreign language (FL) curriculum.' This shift reflects the acknowledgment that the ultimate goal of FL instruction is to enable learners to interact with native speakers of the target language. Two areas not fully understood involve first, how learners process different kinds of authentic input; and second, whether or not gender differences reported in previous second language (L2) research figure in the processing of, comprehension of, or affective response to authentic input. With authentic input, providing learners with appropriate advance organizers and comprehension strategies is probably insufficient. Rather, instruction must also reflect task differences and
251 citations
TL;DR: For instance, this paper found that L1 and L2 variation is correlated with both social class and formality, and that L2 is more likely to have more formal speech than L1.
Abstract: LOSING ONE'S FIRST LANGUAGE (LANguage attrition) has been documented in a wide variety of settings. Although some anecdotal evidence exists of language loss in situations of extreme isolation from all language contact, such as arctic explorers, most documented cases of language loss involve language contact or the learning of a second language. Language loss is a broad term which can include complete loss, such as language death (10; 11; 12; 13), loss of proficiency (27; 28; 49; 50; 52), and various forms of modification in language contact situations (4; 7; 8; 18; 57; 58; 60; 62). These latter cases (modification of a first language) are sometimes excluded from the term language loss because speakers may continue to be completely fluent in their first language. However, in another sense these fluent speakers should be considered cases of language loss because fluency and proficiency are not synonymous. One may speak a language fluently but still exhibit forms which deviate substantially from those of native speakers. Therefore, in order to avoid confusion, the term first language loss refers to all forms of loss, complete or partial (modification). Although first language loss in its various forms has been studied systematically for some time (62), there seems to be no study that involves stylistic variation in L1 loss, that is, L1 variation taking into account the influence of L2. This fact is remarkable given that there are numerous studies of both L1 variation (16; 32; 35; 43; 58) and L2 variation (2; 3; 9; 40; 42; 44; 45; 48; 53; 56). However, the general trends found in L1 and L2 variation are perhaps indicative of what one would expect to find in L1 loss. The general trends in L1 and L2 variation studies are similar.' Both L1 and L2 studies typically show that speakers approximate the perceived standard with greater accuracy as the style becomes more formal. An early study by Fischer concerning the pronunciation of -ing by New England children (ages three to ten) showed that girls used [rj] more frequently than boys, but in both sexes the [Uj] variant was used more frequently as style became more formal. N merous studies of postvocalic r, exemplified by some of the early work of Labov (33; 35), reveal postvocalic r is correlated with both social class and formality. L2 studies show similarities in that greater target language accuracy occurs in more formal styles (9; 22; 47).2 For example, the Dickerson and Dickerson study found that Japanese learners of English produced English /r/ with nearly 100% accuracy in word lists but with only fifty percent accuracy in conversation. The similarities of L1 and L2 studies may best be explained on the basis of how closely speakers monitor their speech: the more they monitor the greater the accuracy. The term monitor, or the amount of attention one pays to speech, originally used with reference to L1 variation by Labov (34), was later used with a si ilar definition for L2 studies (2; 54; 55; 56).3 With these generalizations of L1 and L2 variation in mind, what would one expect of L1 variation for speakers who are under the strong influence of L2? Because by definition the vernacular or casual represents the most natural, unmonitored style, one might anticipate this style to be the least disturbed by L2 influence. On the other hand, it is reasonable to expect the opposite, considering the general concept of interference and under what situations it is
242 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present guidelines for the evaluation of language education programs in primary and secondary education, focusing on three types of evaluators: insiders, outsiders and participatory evaluation.
Abstract: Series editors' preface Acknowledgements Introduction Part I. Evaluation of Language Education: An Overview Alan Beretta: Part II. Case Studies of Current Practice: 1. Insiders, outsiders and participatory evaluation J. Charles Alderson and Mike Scott 2. Evaluating a program inside and out Brian Lynch 3. The 'independent' evaluation of bilingual primary education: a narrative account Rosamond Mitchell 4. Issues in evaluating input-based language teaching programs Adrian Palmer 5. Program-defining evaluation in a decade of eclecticism Steven Ross 6. evaluation of classroom interaction Assia Slimani 7. Moving the goalposts: project evaluation in practice Hywel Coleman 8. What can be learned from the Bangalore Evaluation Alan Beretta Part III. Guidelines for the Evaluation of Language Education J. Charles Alderson Appendices.
202 citations
TL;DR: A number of curricular reforms have been aimed at using authentic learning materials, stressing the importance of listening comprehension, making drills contextually appropriate, de-emphasizing error correction, and emphasizing meaningful activity in the classroom as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: Any number of curricular reforms have been aimed at using authentic learning materials, stressing the importance of listening comprehension, making drills contextually appropriate, de-emphasizing error correction, and, in general, emphasizing meaningful activity in the classroom. Even criticisms of these attempts (e.g., 27) and research on the role of formfocused instruction in the communicative lan-
191 citations
TL;DR: The TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) as mentioned in this paper requires foreign students to demonstrate their writing proficiency in the second language (9) in order to obtain admission to a university.
Abstract: THROUGHOUT SCHOOL, STUDENTS ARE continually assessed on their ability to express themselves in writing.' This claim is no less true when working with a foreign language. Assessments often influence decisions made by institutions of higher education since the admission requirements of many universities include also a score in writing. Major examinations such as the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) now require foreign students to demonstrate their writing proficiency in the second language (9).
191 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe functional approaches to Linguistics and communicate competence, intelligibility, and model in terms of competency, intelligence, and competency.
Abstract: 1 Functional Approaches to Linguistics.- 2 Communicative Competence, Intelligibility, and Model.- 3 Sociolinguistic Profiles: India, West Germany, and Japan.- 4 Communicative Language Teaching.- 5 Functionally Based Communicative Approaches to Language Teaching.- References.
140 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a model of testing in which tests become sources of meaningful information about the improvement of foreign language learning, and describe the background for and rationale of the model and provide a description of its components, processes, operations and applications.
Abstract: scribe a model of testing in which tests become sources of meaningful information about the improvement of foreign language learning. This testing model has been implemented by ten schools teaching Hebrew as a foreign language in the United States and Canada.' The paper presents the background for and rationale of the model and provides a description of its components, processes, operations, and applications.
134 citations
TL;DR: For instance, Foreign Language Acquisition Research and the Classroom assembles 24 papers covering topics such as communication in the foreign language classroom, the role of grammar in communication, cultural competence, current methodologies, and approaches to foreign language acquisition, research design, and implementation of the model in the classroom environment.
Abstract: Foreign Language Acquisition Research and the Classroom assembles 24 papers covering topics such as communication in the foreign language classroom, the role of grammar in communication, cultural competence, current methodologies, and approaches to foreign language acquisition, research design, and implementation of the model in the classroom environment.
113 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors attempted to understand what cloze tests measure by identifying factors related to cloze item difficulty, and their purpose was to help explain the meaning of cloze test scores.
Abstract: of second language proficiency even though the precise abilities required by a given cloze remain in question. The practice of using cloze tests without clear knowledge of what they measure is inconsistent with current objectives of educational measurement: we must know precisely what a test measures for reasons both theoretical (to understand the abilities it requires) and practical (to use appropriately the scores it yields). One means of defining these abilities is to identify the factors affecting test difficulty at the item level (15: p. 153). Applying this principle to students' performance on cloze items, we attempted in this study to understand what cloze tests measure by identifying factors related to cloze item difficulty. Our purpose was to help explain the meaning of cloze test scores and thus provide a firmer basis for developing various types of cloze tests.
TL;DR: This paper found that low quality (i.e., slow and inaccurate) verbal processing skills produce individual differences in reading comprehension even among college-level L1 readers as well (e.g., 28, 29, 13, 13; 47).
Abstract: tionship between lower-level verbal processing skills and foreign language reading proficiency. Previous research findings in first language (L1) reading suggest four major reader-related factors: 1) aspects of linguistic knowledgesuch as orthographic knowledge (e.g., 41; 55), morphosyntactic knowledge (e.g., 61; 64; 65), and vocabulary knowledge (e.g., 2; 11; 44); 2) background knowledge (e.g., 3; 21); 3) cognitive and metacognitive skills (e.g., 4; 39; 24; 57); and 4) lower-level verbal processing skills (e.g., 58, 59; 38; 49; 47; 13). These L1 factors also have a significant impact on second (L2) and foreign language (FL) reading comprehension. L2/FL reading studies have demonstrated that linguistic knowledge (e.g., 15; 16; 18; 14), background knowledge (e.g., 8; 60; 34; 6), and cognitive and metacognitive skills (e.g., 7; 9; 12; 10) contribute heavily to L2 reading comprehension. Little attention, however, has been paid to the relationship between lower-level verbal processing skills and L2 reading comprehension. Lower-level processing refers to the processes involved in extracting visual information from print, such as letter identification and word recognition, which can be contrasted with higher-level processing, such as syntactic manipulation and inter-sentential text integration. A number of theorists in cognitive psychology claim that deficiency in lower-level processing operations strains the limited capacity of short-term memory, and inhibits text integ ation into a meaningful sequence (e.g., 47; 52; 58; 17; 56; 30). The limited-capacity model hus predicts that when a reader is heavily involv d in lower-level processing operations, fe er cognitive capacities are available for higher-level processing (e.g., integrating intersentential information, making inferences, drawing upon prior knowledge) and poor comprehension is inevitable. Interestingly, it has also been observed that low quality (i.e., slow and inaccurate) verbal processing skills produce individual differences in reading comprehension even among college-level L1 readers as well (e.g., 28; 29; 13; 47). Since L2/FL reading often involves learning e linguistic codes, we can expect that lowerlevel proc ssing skills play an even more critical role in L2/FL reading than in L1 reading. Despite its theoretical and pedagogical importance, however, the issue has received little attention among L2 reading researchers. The paucity of data may be attributable to the widespr ad belief that linguistic knowledge is only a prerequisite in the acquisition of verbal processing skills, leading to the further assumption that verbal processing skills develop automatically as linguistic proficiency improves (e.g., 43; 18). Several L1 studies, however, have shown that lower-level processing skills account for individual differences in reading comprehension among native speakers (e.g., 29; 49; 47; 48; 13), thus suggesting that linguistic knowledge alone does not guarantee the subsequent development of verbal processing skills. More importantly, recent bilingual research has also demonstrated that inefficient word recognition is associated with slower L2 reading rates among otherwise fluent bilingual subjects (53). All of The Modern Language Journal, 76, iv (1992) 0026-7902/92/502-12 $1.50/0 ? 1992 The Modern Language Journal
TL;DR: Baron as mentioned in this paper explores the philosophical, legal, political, educational, and sociological implications of the official-English movement, tracing the history of American attitudes toward English and minority languages during the past two centuries.
Abstract: Should the United States declare English its official language? The "English only" question, which has plagued American citizens since the founding of the country, is the focus of heated debate, with an English Language Amendment to the Constitution pending in Congress since 1981. This book provides an historically based discussion of this issue. The author explores the philosophical, legal, political, educational, and sociological implications of the official-English movement, tracing the history of American attitudes toward English and minority languages during the past two centuries. He describes how battles to save English or minority languages have been fought in the press, the schools, the courts, and the legislatures of the country. According to Baron, the impulse to impose English and limit other languages has repeatedly arisen during periods of political or economic ferment, when non-English speakers have been targeted as subversive, unemployable, or otherwise resistant to assimilation. However, says the author, many supporters of the English Language Amendment are not xenophobic but are people who believe in the ideal of one language for one nation and who argue that mastery of English is the only way to succeed in America. He discusses the recent background of the English Language Amendment, explains the arguments on each side, and assesses its future.
TL;DR: For years, foreign language learning disabilities have been a major concern for teachers as mentioned in this paper, and the question of how to teach students who are unable to learn a FL the way it is typically taught in schools.
Abstract: FOR YEARS FOREIGN LANGUAGE (FL) educators have struggled with the question of how to teach students who are unable to learn a FL the way it is typically taught in schools. Recently, colleges and universities have begun providing opportunities to waive or substitute the FL requirement for students with identified "foreign" language learning disabilities (38; 41; 62; 101). This same opportunity, however, has not been provided to students in high school, where FL study in the United States usually is initiated. In fact, expectations for proficiency in a FL in grade school and high school (K-12) are on the rise, as reflected in recent state mandates requiring the study of a FL prior to graduation from high school. For example, Louisiana, North Carolina, and New York have mandated FL study in their public schools (43; 85). Other states such as California and Ohio have begun to require several years of FL study prior to admission to state-supported institutions of higher learning. These initiatives suggest a
TL;DR: The authors studied the role of the cognitive style of Reflection/Impulsivity when adults are learning English as a second language (EASL) and found that it can provide a method for classifying successful and unsuccessful language learners within a construct that is easy to understand and easy to work with in instructional settings.
Abstract: or unsuccessful language learners. Characteristics of the learner that are unchangeable (age, sex, native language) or predispositions (motivation, attitude, anxiety, tolerance of ambiguity, and cognitive style) have all been examined in varying degrees. The focus of this study is narrowed to one characteristic-cognitive style-and finally, narrowed even further to only two cognitive styles, Reflection/Impulsivity and Field Independence/Dependence. Field Independence/Dependence has received greater attention in language learning research th n has Reflection/Impulsivity. What is the role of the cognitive style of Reflection/Impulsivity when adults are learning E glish as a second language? I believe that Reflection/Impulsivity will provide a method for classifying successful and unsuccessful language learners within a construct that is easy to understand and easy to work with in instructional settings. This is theoretically and empirically important because it will provide construct-related evidence validating a model of SLA that includes cognitive style as a source of individual variation. Pragmatically, underst nding the predispositions of language learners in terms of cognitive style could provide a basis for materials development both for the classroom and computer lab-training in strategies to adapt performances, altering natural tendencies (7; 32; 36).
TL;DR: Most FL professionals have taken the position that writing is a "secondary" or less crucial skill than listening, speaking, and reading, and, according to Herzog, even government language schools have not tested the writing skill as part of the end-of-course evaluation.
Abstract: HISTORICALLY, THE FL TEACHING PROfession has given little sustained attention to the development of writing ability in students' target languages.' Most FL professionals have taken the position that writing is a "secondary" or less crucial skill than listening, speaking, and reading, and, according to Herzog, even government language schools have not tested the writing skill as part of the end-of-course evaluation.
TL;DR: The ACTFL Guidelines state that the non-non-generalizable attributes exist which limit comprehensibility by interlocutor type as discussed by the authors, and Magnan (p. 268) urges a reexamination of the descriptors for OPI rating levels using actual language data from students, in order to indicate how many and what type of errors are associated with the various OPI levels.
Abstract: speech at the Advanced and Superior Levels, yet the assumption that testers of oral proficiency can effectively distinguish among not only student speaking skills but also among the comprehension skills of the various types of interlocutors named within the descriptors has yet to be validated. Van Lier (p. 494) stresses the need to determine if, in fact, generalizable attributes exist which limit comprehensibility by interlocutor type. Magnan (p. 268) urges a reexamination of the descriptors for Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) rating levels using actual language data from students, in order to indicate how many and what type of errors are associated with the various OPI levels. The ACTFL Guidelines state that the non-
TL;DR: This article examined undergraduates' attitudes toward the study of literature in a foreign language, as well as factors affecting their opinions, and used a questionnaire to elicit these opinions, including a review of previous investigations of learner attitudes regarding the study in native and foreign language literature.
Abstract: (19: p. 10). The purpose of this investigation was to examine undergraduates' attitudes toward the study of literature in a foreign language, as well as factors affecting their opinions. In the present research, we used a questionnaire to elicit these opinions. With the presentation and discussion of our findings, we include a review of previous investigations of learner attitudes regarding the study of native and foreign language literature.
TL;DR: In this paper, private speech (speech for the self, or "thinking out loud") is given a key role in this development by virtue of its capacity to mediate difficulties encountered in activities.
Abstract: THE SOVIET PSYCHOLOGIST, L. S. VYgotsky, theorized that human psychological development evolves through social interaction from an interpersonal to an intrapersonal plane, a process which leads the individual to increasing degrees of autonomy until eventually (usually as an adolescent) he/she becomes a self-regulated member of society,' Private speech (speech for the self, or "thinking out loud") is given a key role in this development by virtue of its capacity to mediate difficulties encountered in activities
TL;DR: For example, this article found that college-bound high school students hear, remember, or believe about the curricular arguments that reverberate around them as they register for courses that will ensure that their graduation requirements will be met.
Abstract: to "do everything" yet are prevented by a two to three year implied limit from doing very much of anything. Recently, American legislators and educational policymakers at the state and university levels have been revising ideal curricular requirements once again to include the study of FLs. The views of these public figures appear in local newspapers, in high school counseling office posters, and in credentialing requirements for many universities. Little is known, however, about the explicit perceptions of entering university students concerning this educational thrust. What, if anything, do college-bound high school students hear, remember, or believe about the curricular arguments that reverberate around them as they register for courses that will ensure that their graduation requirements will be met? Does past experience in high school FL study affect their perceptions? When given an openended opportunity to discuss the importance of FL study, what arguments and opinions do they offer? OVERVIEW
TL;DR: The simulated oral proficiency interview (SOPI) as mentioned in this paper is an alternative method to the face-to-face procedure employed by the OPI for eliciting speech samples that may be rated according to the ACTFL guidelines.
Abstract: nation of the Proficiency Guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) (1; 2), proficiency instruction and testing have become household words in foreign language education. The Guidelines, originally developed in 1982, were the subject of over 400 articles in professional journals by 1988 (8; 18) and represent the efforts of ACTFL, with assistance from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and Federal Interagency Language Roundtable (FILR) (9). As a method of assessing global speaking proficiency, the oral proficiency interview (OPI) has also been widely disseminated. During the 1980s, ACTFL trained approximately 2000 oral proficiency interviewers and raters in Spanish, French, German, and Russian. This article reports on an alternative method to the face-to-face procedure employed by the OPI for eliciting speech samples that may be rated according to the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines. While many professionals in the commonly taught languages were being trained in the OPI procedures, it became clear to staff at the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) that in the less commonly taught languages problems of manpower and economics would limit the accessibility of the benefits of comprehensive oral proficiency testing offered by the OPI. Thus CAL sought to explore the use of a tapemediated procedure for assessing oral proficiency. At the same time, CAL was anxious to ensure that the ACTFLIFILR Proficiency Guidelines would be used as the scoring scale for the new procedure. In other words, the new tapemediated procedure would have to collect examinee speech samples containing the necessary breadth to be rated on the ACTFL scale. Through its research and development projects, CAL has developed what has come to be called the simulated oral proficiency interview (SOPI) to achieve these ends (13). The SOPI is distinguished from earlier tapemediated assessments of speaking ability, such as the Recorded Oral Proficiency Exam (ROPE) (10) or the Test of Spoken English (TSE) (6), by its combination of each of these three characteristics: 1) in format it is similar to the OPI, beginning with a warm-up and using a variety of speaking tasks at different levels on the ACTFL scale to probe speaking proficiency; 2) it uses both aural and visual stimuli to elicit the
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of instruction on second-language learning is discussed in the context of applied linguistics in the classroom, with a focus on the role of the language teacher.
Abstract: Part 1 Applied linguists in historical perspective: relationships between linguistics and applied linguistics - some Danish examples, Frans Gregersen early language transfer experimental thought, Larry Selinker some items on the hidden agenda of second/foreign language acquistion, Robert Phillipson British applied linguistics - the conbribution of S.Pit Corder, Alan Davies. Part 2 Learner language: achieving proficiency in a second language - a processing description, Ellen Bialystok analysing developing discourse structure - the NORWRITE project, Dorte Albrechtsen et al IL - conceptual confusions and new beginnings, Michael Sharwood Smith. Part 3 Learner strategies and processes: strategies in second-language learning, Andrew Cohen developing learners' procedural knowledge in comprehension, Kirsten Haastrup grammar instruction, selective attention and learning processes, Susan Gass compensatory strategies in second language research - implications for the classroom, Eric Kellerman the other side of the page - integrating the study of communication strategies and negotiated input in SLA, George Yule and Elaine Tarone crosslinguistic lexical influence and foreign language learning, Hakan Ringbom. Part 4 Classroom research: validation in second language classroom research and the evaluation of teaching methods, Craig Chaudron what have we here? Some observations on the influence of instruction on L2 learning, Patsy Lighbown understanding the language teacher, Mike Breen manipulating and complementing content teaching to maximize second language learning, Merrill Swain. Part 5 From pragmatics to social competence: interlanguage pragmatics - the case of requests, Soshana Blum-Kulka do learners talk too much? The waffle phenomenon in interlanguage pragmatics, Willis Edmondson and Juliane House innovation in foreign language teaching, Johannes Wagner bicultural competence and strategies for negotiating ethnic identity, Tove Skutnabb-Kangas.
TL;DR: The Modern Language Journal 76 (1992) as mentioned in this paper discusses general technical and le- gal texts as well as highly colloquial writing, for example, general technical, le-gal texts and highly conversational writing.
Abstract: prose, for example, general technical and le- gal texts as well as highly colloquial writing. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.124 on Wed, 22 Jun 2016 06:01:00 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 466 The Modern Language Journal 76 (1992)
TL;DR: The second-year French program at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) as discussed by the authors was one of the first to introduce a second year language curriculum to improve students' preparation for upper-division study.
Abstract: unsatisfactory by students and faculty alike.1 On the one hand, students coming into their first literature class often feel overwhelmed by the high level of expectations placed upon them, even though they may have been quite successful in their lower-division language courses. On the other hand, upper-division faculty often question the adequacy of their new students' prior preparation when they see them struggle with new, challenging writing tasks appropriate to the discussion of texts at an advanced level. Consequently, foreign language departments across the country are attempting to bridge the gap between basic language skill acquisition and the development of higherorder analytical skills needed for the study of literature or culture at the upper-division level (e.g., 54: pp. 1-3). One important aspect of building such a bridge is to teach students how to write effectively in the foreign language (10; 32). In the fall of 1986 the French Department at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) restructured its second-year language curriculum in an effort to improve students' preparation for upper-division study. All four skill areas of listening, speaking, reading, and writing were addressed, with particular attention devoted to the improvement of students' prose composition in French. This emphasis was due to the fact that, among the four skills, students' writing ability had drawn the greatest criticism from the faculty. Within two years after the implementation of the new curriculum, faculty in the UCB French Department reported considerable improvement in students' writing ability as well as in their speaking, reading, and critical thinking abilities. In light of this perceived improvement in students' performance, we undertook a formal assessment of the second-year French program. This paper reports the results of the quantitative phase of the assessment; a descriptive account of the development of students' writing skills over the course of the second year French program is in preparation.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors formulate a framework in the form of macrostrategies to guide teachers in their classroom work, which can serve as a template for guiding them in their work.
Abstract: pedagogical and theoretical knowledge. This hypothesis rests on several premises. First, although the emphasis is shifting away from teachers towards learners in L2 learning/teaching, there is hardly any corresponding shift in L2 teacher education (37; 38).' Second, teacher education has focused more on pedagogic techniques and less on psycholinguistic processes of L2 development (24; 31; 33). Third, if understanding the relationship between theoretical principles and classroom techniques maximizes the effectiveness of L2 teaching (6; 27; 43), then, teacher educators have a responsibility to make L2 teachers aware of this relationship. If we recognize these premises, we then see a need to provide teachers with certain broad guidelines which can serve as a template that guides them in their classroom work. In this paper, I attempt to formulate such a framework in the form of macrostrategies.