The "Muqaddimah," a massive 14th century text by Arab historian Ibn Khaldun, while primarily a history, in the later chapters deals with linguistics and pedagogy. Multiple publications on what his work contributes to the field of education exist. But surprisingly, only two papers have appeared specific to teaching English to speakers of…

Life in the contemporary society and ongoing globalisation processes result in growing demands on educators, including language teachers in higher education. The frequently accentuated so-called postmethod approach to foreign language teaching gives teachers a lot of freedom and flexibility but also creates a large space for various types of…

The English language has become a global language, a development which has influenced English language teaching and learning throughout the world. This influence has occurred more impressively in China than in other parts of the world as a result of the breathtaking pace at which China has integrated with global economies. Increasing industrial,…

This paper is concerned with the role of language in mathematics learning at college level. Its main aim is to provide a perspective on mathematical language appropriate to effectively interpret students' linguistic behaviors in mathematics and to suggest new teaching ideas. Examples are given to show that the explanation of students' behaviors…

Examines the place of Arabic in language education and language planning activities in Nigeria, highlighting its uses from the nineteenth century to present, methods and content of Arabic education, contributions to historical documentation in pre-colonial Nigeria and lexical expansion of Nigerian languages, and decline in its status and role. (34…

Data on foreign language learning and conversational usage from 12 European Union member states (n=13,029) indicate language learning has increased considerably in 40 years. Of the most commonly learned languages (English, French, German), English has gained most, suggesting emergence as a lingua franca. One analysis gauged the probability that a…

The relationship between language and culture is examined briefly, and instructional approaches to developing cultural awareness in language students, particularly Chinese students of English as a Second Language (ESL), are discussed. It is noted that effective cross-cultural communication requires an understanding of culture's role in governing…

Outlines the emergence of English as a Second Language in continental Europe, demonstrating a continuous trend in second language instruction in both eastern and western Europe. Examines the status of English language instruction today and what differentiates it from instruction in other languages, and looks more closely at English instruction in…

In Switzerland, bilingual education models have existed for a long time. Some schools have a bilingual tradition that reaches back to the nineteenth century, as do informal models along the French-German language border. At the same time, exchanges between language communities led to bilingual learning, and the Raetoromania is a compulsory, though…

Examines the status of English second language instruction in Dutch-speaking Flanders (Belgium), particularly as concerns these areas: education (teacher education, language certification, types and intensity of English courses, materials and methods); Flemish society and daily life; its image and the quality of its use; and status in competition…

This paper describes cultural and educational characteristics of West African countries that may have implications for West Africans studying and learning English in the United States. Countries discussed include Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Benin, Niger, Gambia, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, and Mali. The structures of the systems of elementary,…

The evolution of a British communicative language teaching project at the University of Leicester is chronicled. The project brought together local education agencies, examination boards, advisors, teachers, and researchers to develop three levels of graded instructional objectives across the ability range in grades 7-9 and a standardized test,…

Mauritius is a multilingual country with English, French and Creole as the main languages, and several ancestral languages which are mainly used for religious ceremonies. Most children speak Creole at home and learn English, French and one ancestral language in the first year of primary school. The educational dropout rate is 40-50% after primary…

A collection of articles from a 1993 British seminar on language issues in distance education includes: "The End of Distance Education" (Iredale); "The Logistics of Distance Language Teaching" (Turner); "The Open University and Language Issues" (Floyd); "Language Issues in Distance Education at Tertiary…

This monograph discusses issues in the design and implementation of two-way immersion, or two-way bilingual education programs, and describes three exemplary programs. An introductory section examines briefly the rationale for two-way immersion and the extent of its use in the United States. Three school program profiles follow: (1) Francis Scott…