Dale L. Lange

Effects of Text Structure Instruction on Foreign Language Readers' Recall of a Scientific Journal Article

Intermediate-level college students of French were randomly assigned to a condition in which they received information on the organization of a journal article or to a control condition where they did not receive this training. Half the students from each of these groups were assigned to read a scientific article in French which used canonical organization while the other half read the same article in a coherent form which did not. Afterwards, the students completed a free recall task in English, and the written recalls were scored for number of idea units recalled. Results indicated a significant main effect for instruction in text structure. This effect obtained only, however, when the text was in canonical experimental report order (problem, description of the investigation, results and conclusion). The discussion addresses how knowledge of structure gained through instruction may be used in comprehension and recall in the case of foreign-language readers.

Integrating language and culture: How to do it

(1987). Integrating language and culture: How to do it. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 26, Teaching Foreign Languages, pp. 258-266.

The Language Teaching Curriculum and a National Agenda

The language teaching curriculum is found to be predominantly focused on grammatical content. Several designs related to curriculum development are examined: systems-behavioral, communicative, and content. The need for the integration of the several contents of language programs is developed. A national agenda for a different direction, the language learning curriculum, is offered.

An EPDA Institute for Cooperating Teachers in German

Disappointing to many, however, is the fact that the massive reform which secondary schools have experienced has altered the college and university programs but little. This has had a particularly unfortunate effect on FL teacher education programs because undergraduates continue to be taught languages by traditional methods in many colleges. Furthermore, methods courses are generally weak or non-existent.