Collaborations: Meeting New Goals, New Realities. June K. Phillips, editor, 1997, 232 pp.
This combination of project reports is in three formats--book, video, and video guide--that focus on the five goals of the national standards for foreign language learning: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. These goals are discussed in the book and are demonstrated in classroom scenarios on the video:
 | Communication: Making Meaning Through a Whole Language Approach |
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 | Cultures: Using Video To Explore Perspectives, Practices, and Products of Guatemalan Culture | |
 | Connections: Making New Connections Through Interdisciplinary Lessons | |
 | Comparisons: Using Linguistics and Cultural Comparisons To Help Students Succeed in Learning | |
 | Communities: Using a Foreign Language To Connect With the Community. | |
The video guide is intended to encourage reflection on the classroom scenarios and suggests ways to share ideas with colleagues. $18.95 (book only); $10 (video and video guide). The book is available from the National Textbook Company, 4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1975; 800-323-4900. The accompanying video and video guide are available from the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Dickinson College, P.O. Box 1773, Carlisle, PA 17013-2896; 717-245-1977.
An Early Start: A Resource Book for Elementary School Foreign Language. Helena Curtain, 1993, 88 pp.
This resource book addresses many of the factors involved in establishing and maintaining an elementary school foreign language program. It discusses program models and such issues as language choice and teacher preparation. The author includes an overview of national and state initiatives and devotes extensive space to lists of resources and materials, publishers of materials, professional organizations, and language-oriented conferences. An appendix contains sources for networking, a list of immersion programs in U.S. elementary schools, and a working bibliography of research about foreign language in elementary schools. $20.40. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 353 849. ERIC Document Reproduction Service, 7420 Fullerton Road, Suite 110, Springfield, VA 22153-2852; 800-443-3742.
Foreign Language Assessment in Grades K-8: An Annotated Bibliography of Assessment Instruments. Lynn Thompson, 1997, 215 pp.
This bibliography describes foreign language assessment instruments that are currently being used by elementary and middle schools across the country. Each entry includes information about instrument availability; current users of the instrument; the type of program the instrument is used in; the intended grade level; the intended test use (for example, placement or achievement); skills tested; the test authors; test materials; the scoring method; and the publication date, cost, length, and format of the instrument. This book also provides a wealth of resources related to foreign language assessment, including books, articles, Internet resources, and guidelines and resources from Australia. $14.95. Delta Systems Company, Inc., 1400 Miller Parkway, McHenry, IL 60050; 800-323-8270.
Foreign Language Education: Issues and Strategies. Amado M. Padilla, editor, 1990, 256 pp.
This 15-chapter book is divided into four sections that address political and historical perspectives on foreign language education; research perspectives on immersion and foreign language education; immersion education through design, implementation, and evaluation; and content-based instruction and foreign language education. $79.40. Available through Books on Demand, UMI, 300 North Zeeb Road, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346; 800-521-0600.
Foreign Language Learning: The Journey of a Lifetime. Richard Donato and Robert M. Terry, 1995, 194 pp.
This book discusses foreign language learners in elementary schools; immersion programs (issues, strategies, and research) in middle schools; foreign language instruction in middle schools in the coming century; the future shape of language learning in the new environment of global communication; the reinvention of second language instruction; and efforts to bring coherence to foreign language education as it faces new challenges. $21.25. National Textbook Company, 4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1975; 800-323-4900.
Handbook of Classroom Assessment: Learning, Achievement, and Adjustment. Gary D. Phye, 1997, 545 pp.
This book includes a chapter called "Foreign Languages: Instruments, Techniques, and Standards," which offers a historical overview of assessment, sample instruments, and a discussion of national standards and future directions. $79.95. Academic Press, Inc., 525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495; 800-321-5068.
How Languages Are Learned. Patsy M. Lightbown and Nina Spada, 1994, 144 pp.
This book for foreign/second language teachers explains how young children acquire their first and second languages. It discusses several major theoretical models and theories and addresses how learner characteristics and learning contexts affect success. $11.25. Oxford University Press,
200 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016; 212-679-7300.
Languages and Children: Making the Match: Foreign Language Instruction for an Early Start, Grades K-8. Second Edition. Helena Curtain and Carol Ann Bjornstad Pesola, 1994, 494 pp.
This book was designed as both a methods text and a practical guide for school districts and teachers involved in K-8 foreign language instruction. Its primary focus is on beginning-level classes for native English speakers. It discusses the rationale and history of various foreign language program models, theoretical foundations for early instruction, curriculum planning, assessment (of both students and programs), teacher preparation, and administrative concerns. $35.68. Addison Wesley, Order Department, 1 Jacob Way, Reading, MA 01867; 800-447-2226.
Languages in Elementary Schools. Kurt E. Muller, editor, 1989, 232 pp.
This book covers perspectives, practices, and promises of elementary school language programs; an approach to the integrated curriculum for the 1990s; children's ages and stages of learning (as they affect foreign language learning); learning language through content; creating environments conducive to language learning; school district perspectives; testing; why children should learn a second language; the participation of low achievers and students with disabilities in foreign language classes; and policy and curricular implications. $7.50 + $4 shipping. The American Forum, 45 John Street, Suite 1200, New York, NY 10038; 212-624-1300 ext. 347.
Languages for a Multicultural World in Transition. Heidi Byrnes, editor, 1992, 204 pp.
This book offers a comprehensive view of the role of languages in a multicultural world. Chapters discuss societal multilingualism; the role of the foreign language teaching profession in maintaining the viability of non-English languages in the United States; area studies for a multicultural world in transition; ways of approaching a cultural reading of authentic texts; the changing goals of language instruction; and the implications of technology on second language learning. $13.50. National Textbook Company, 4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1975; 800-323-4900.
Life in Language Immersion Classrooms. Elizabeth B. Bernhardt, editor, 1992, 192 pp.
This book focuses on the ways in which teachers and administrators carry on the daily operations of immersion schooling. It chronicles a two-year research project that involved the staff and principals of two midwestern immersion schools working in collaboration with specialists in both second language and language arts teaching. $69. Multilingual Matters, Frankfurt Lodge, Clevedon Hall, Victoria Road, Clevedon BS21 7NN, England.
Memory, Meaning, & Method: A View of Language Teaching. Second Edition. Earl W. Stevick, 1996, 295 pp.
This revised edition explores the literature of research on memory, creation of meaning in language learning, and second language teaching methodology and incorporates the results of recent work in these areas. $22.95. Heinle & Heinle Publishers, International Thomson Book Distribution Center, 7625 Empire Drive, Florence, KY 41042; 800-354-9706.
National Standards: A Catalyst for Reform. Robert C. Lafayette, editor, 1996, 320 pp.
This discussion of the national foreign language standards by a group of language educators focuses on major aspects of the topic, which are as follows: using standards to improve education, the standards' contribution to professional policy, the influence of the standards on foreign language teacher education and professional development, new learners and new environments, the role of technology, programmatic implications of the standards, assessments, and implications for a new professional structure. $15.95. National Textbook Company, 4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincoln-wood, IL 60646-1975; 800-323-4900.
Practical Handbook to Elementary Foreign Language Programs, Including FLES, FLEX, and
Immersion Programs. Gladys C. Lipton, 1988, 288 pp.
Designed for teachers, supervisors, administrators, and community advocates, this book provides practical advice on how to establish, maintain, and improve foreign language programs at the elementary and middle school levels. $15.95. National Textbook Company, 4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1975; 800-323-4900.
Profiles in Two-Way Immersion Education. Donna Christian, Christopher Montone, Kathryn J. Lindholm, and Isolda Carranza, 1997, 127 pp.
This book contains an introduction to two-way immersion education (also referred to as two-way bilingual education) and profiles of three programs that are implementing different variations of the two-way model. The authors describe each program's evolution, current operation, and results. A final chapter provides comparisons across the programs. $15.95. Delta Systems, Inc., 1400 Miller Parkway, McHenry, IL 60050; 800-323-8270.
Standards for Foreign Language Learning: Preparing for the 21st Century. National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project, 1996, 109 pp.
This book resulted from the work of the K-12 Student Standards Task Force on developing national standards for foreign language learning. It offers a statement of philosophy and clear articulation of recommended national standards. Discussion of the implications and implementation of this collaborative effort, in which several organizations participated (including ACTFL, AATF, AATSP, and AATG), follows the initial statements. The book concludes with many sample learning scenarios and answers to frequently asked questions. $20. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 394 279. National Standards Report, P.O. Box 1897, Lawrence, KS 66044; 800-627-0629.
Technology-Enhanced Language Learning. Michael D. Bush, editor, and Robert M. Terry, associate editor, 1997, 378 pp.
This book introduces teachers to language learning technology and describes ways to implement it in the classroom. Chapters focus on using various media and combinations of media (such as books, videos, CD-ROMs, and so forth) for language learning; using technology to teach listening; using hypermedia technology to teach reading; using computer-mediated communication to improve speaking and writing; using language laboratories to unite teachers, learners, and machines; and using Internet technologies to learn language and culture. $16.90. National Textbook Company, 4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1975; 800-323-4900.
Visions and Reality in Foreign Language Teaching: Where We Are, Where We Are Going. Selected papers from the Annual Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (Des Moines, IA, March 1993). William N. Hatfield, editor, and others, 1993, 157 pp.
This special commemorative issue of the CSC Reports celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. Included in this issue are selected papers from the 1993 conference on the following topics: why many students avoid foreign language study, student beliefs about language learning, the effectiveness of computer-assisted instruction, the use of music to teach languages, foreign languages in elementary schools, foreign language program models used in middle schools, the social context of second language acquisition, and the Iowa Critical Languages Program. $13.50. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 378 814. National Textbook Company, 4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60646-1975; 800-323-4900.