MODERN LANGUAGE PROJECT OF THE MASSACHUSETTS COUNCIL FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TEACHERS TRAINING DIVISION, SUMMARY OF RESEARCH ON 'PARLONS FRANCAIS,' YEAR TWO.

THE EFFECTS OF SEVERAL INDEPENDENT TEACHER VARIABLES IN AN INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A TELEVISED, 2-YEAR FRENCH CURRICULUM WERE INVESTIGATED. THE VARIABLES WERE TWO VARIATIONS EACH OF TEACHER TRAINING, CLASSROOM PRACTICE, AND TEACHER FLUENCY IN FRENCH--(1) TEACHER TRAINING BY HALF-HOUR TELEVISION PROGRAMS VERSUS TRAINING BY HALF-HOUR TAPE-RECORDINGS, (2) PRACTICE PREPARED AND DIRECTED BY TEACHERS VERSUS PRACTICE VIA SPECIALLY PREPARED TAPE-RECORDINGS, AND (3) THE USE OF TEACHERS JUDGED FLUENT VERSUS THOSE JUDGED TO BE NONFLUENT ON THE BASIS OF SPECIALLY CONSTRUCTED ORAL TESTS. EFFECTS OF THESE VARIATIONS ON THE ACHIEVEMENT OF 45 SECOND-YEAR FRENCH CLASSES OF FIFTH-GRADE CHILDREN WERE MEASURED AT THE END OF 1 YEAR OF INSTRUCTION. LISTENING COMPREHENSION PROVIDED THE MAJOR BASE FOR MEASUREMENTS. THE TWO FORMS OF TEACHER TRAINING PROVIDED LITTLE DIFFERENCE IN PUPIL GAIN. THIS STUDY FOLLOWED AN EARLIER ONE CONDUCTED DURING THE PREVIOUS YEAR WITH THE SAME STUDENTS WHEN THEY WERE ENROLLED IN 1ST-YEAR FRENCH. OVER THE 2-YEAR PERIOD, SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED IN FAVOR OF FLUENT AND MODERATELY FLUENT TEACHERS WHEN CLASSROOM WORK WAS CONTINUED BOTH YEARS BY THESE TEACHERS. (JH)