Second language anxiety is an emotional reaction that diminishes second language learners' academic performance. Researchers have identified cognitive and affective factors as contributors to students' classroom anxiety reactions, yet few studies have examined the concurrent effect of those factors. This study employed survey questionnaires to…

This study examines the response patterns of 288 Spanish-English dual language learners on a standardized test of receptive Spanish vocabulary. Investigators analyzed responses to 54 items on the "Test de Vocabulario en Imagenes" (TVIP) [Dunn, L. M., D. E. Lugo, E. R. Padilla, and L. M. Dunn. 1986. "Test de Vocabulario en Imganes…

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that influence international students' sense of belonging. An in-depth review of existing research on sense of belonging helped me identify 18 factors closely connected to the sense of belonging of international students. I categorized these factors into four groups: (a) academic integration,…

Acculturation and linguistic factors were examined as predictors of self-esteem and language confidence among 91 international college students. The majority of participants were Asian (64.8%), female (59.3%), and graduate students (76.9%). Assimilative (adopting host cultural values) and integrative (blending both host and home cultural values)…

The acculturation of Chinese immigrant high school students was examined as it relates to students' level of interaction with teachers and peers and participation in American school activities. Findings from a regression analysis revealed five variables (sociocultural adaptation strategies) that facilitate students' adjustment process:…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine sentence-recognition performance for a large, diverse group of nonnative speakers of English on the recently developed Basic English Lexicon (BEL) sentence materials and to determine whether BEL sentence lists are equated in difficulty for this population. Method: The BEL sentences were presented…

The ominous prediction is that New York City eighth-graders in the 2010 cohort will enter high school only slightly better prepared than the 2004 cohort to meet the Regents-diploma requirements. Their challenge will likely be compounded by higher Regents examination standards. Without widespread implementation of effective strategies to assist…