Presents some of the conventional arguments against computer assisted instruction (CAI) in language education and explores humanistic concerns raised in the works of Marshall McLuhan. It is concluded that CAI is introduced into the instructional process before proper research has demonstrated that this method of teaching is not harmful for…

On the continuum along which theories of first and second language acquisition are located, the two extremes represent the classic controversy of nature (nativist) vs. nurture (environmentalist), while those in the middle view language acquisition as a result of a more or less balanced interaction between innate capacities and linguistic…

Focuses on the potential ways that second language acquisition research can contribute to the formulation of instructional program goals, with emphasis placed on the nature of language, sequencing of skills, attainment, and language attrition. (CB)

Information in published articles on communicative testing is examined and discussed from the point of view of a classroom teacher. The administrability, reliability, and validity of communicative language testing are highlighted. (MSE)

Reviews the changing trends in foreign language research and curricular content during the mid-1960s and the late 1970s, and describes how the various foci on normative and pragmatic language learning have shaped and expanded foreign language instruction. New challenges for instructional self-assessment and expansion stem from research on…

Explores the nature and role of language teaching research, and teachers' perceptions of its relevance, draws a distinction between the classical top-down research paradigm and the initiation of research by teachers themselves, and suggests areas for further investigation based on teachers' responses to a questionnaire about such research.…

Defines ethnography and principles of high-quality ethnographic work, including a focus on group behavior, holism, emic-etic perspectives, comparison, grounded theory, and data collection and analysis techniques. The promise of ethnography for improving English as a second language teaching and teacher education is discussed. (Author/CB)

Presents a brief overview of good research design and related statistical concepts in deliberately non-technical language and argues that an awareness of the basic principles of valid research on the part of teachers and researchers is necessary to put the findings of language and education research into proper perspective. (Author/CB)

Summarizes current trends in second language acquisition research and suggests their implications for teaching. Five second language acquisition principles are presented, followed by a discussion of the relevant literature and a description of language teaching practices consistent with each principle. (SED)

Language research and language teaching can and should enjoy a relationship of cooperation and respect that is often lacking. A survey of the literature reveals how much of the friction stems from misunderstandings or exaggerations, not from any essential disaccord between the two domains. (Author/CB)

Briefly summarizes popular perspectives on the native-language reading process; presents pertinent studies of second-language reading; and analyzes these studies for pedagogical implications in three categories: organization of prior knowledge during the pre-reading phase; development of metacognitive skills during the reading act; and careful…

Integrates the phonological research concerns of two language-learning populations: (1) adults acquiring a second language, and (2) children learning to correct functional speech sound errors. The basic theoretical and pedagogical aims overlapped for the two populations, and the results of research on either population had strong potential for…

A discussion of the field of applied linguistics looks at traditional and organizational approaches to the discipline and compares them to actual applied linguistics activity. The focus of American and British organizations for applied linguistics and the stated emphases in the field are chronicled for the last several decades, including the…

This article reviews research and literature to identify the most appropriate and effective work on promoting the acquisition of English by limited-English-speaking students via the use of computers. Fields covered in the review are linguistics, culture, psycholinguistics, and sociolinguistics. First, studies on when a child best learns a second…

The findings are presented of a study undertaken by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) to assess the bilingual education services offered to limited English speaking students in three diverse communities and to study the extent to which the development of cognitive and academic skills in the native language and English are…