There is growing recognition that multilingualism is a norm rather than an exception and that it constitutes a default state of human linguistic competence. This phenomenon has become particularly relevant due to widespread, yet variously motivated, population movements as well as job-related mobility and the introduction of multiple foreign…

Once considered a stylistic issue, metaphor is now considered a critical component of everyday and specialized language and most importantly, a fundamental mechanism of human conceptualizations of the world. The use of metaphor in language, thought and communication has been examined in second language (L2) learning. The body of literature that…

This study has objectives that are exploratory and analytical in nature. It focuses on the use of relevant information with regard to the use of literature in EFL classrooms that is available for an analysis in order to draw conclusions and make useful recommendations. The study is, therefore, conducted as library research using the method of…

In a context of the internationalisation of Higher Education (HE) driven by the high mobility of international Higher Degree Research candidates (HDRs), it is important to consider the value of HDRs' multilingual capabilities for their learning and making of original contributions to knowledge. This article reports on a literature study regarding…

The oral interaction hypothesis, proposed by Long and investigated by Pica, in second language (L2) acquisition is critiqued. The interaction hypothesis advances two major claims about the role of interaction in L2 acquisition: (1) comprehensible input is necessary for L2 acquisition; and (2) modifications to the interactional structure of…

Explores the different ways in which the term "competence" has been used in linguistics, considers the difficulties that arise when the term is used outside the domain for which it was originally intended. Making a clear distinction between "competence" and "proficiency" helps to resolve these difficulties. (Author/CB)

Describes attempts to formalize and characterize a theory of communicative competence, focusing on the advantages of a preference model (which identifies and grades learning variables in order of importance) and of models developed on the premise of parallel distributed processing (which suggest that such rule-based processing are in fact gross…

Discusses the design and interpretation of instrumental phonetic studies of second language (L2) speech production. The speech of L2 learners is evaluated to determine to what extent it diverges from the differing phonetic norms of L1, which are estimated from the speech of a small number of native speakers. (Author/LMO)

This report offers a synthesis of a Special Issues Analysis Center report based on a focus group that studied active learning and its implications for limited English proficient (LEP) students. Active learning is defined as the level of engagement by the student in the instructional process; it implies the development of a community of learners…