Language and argument are epistemic tools that learners can use to help them generate and validate knowledge for themselves, as emphasized in NGSS and previous NRC reports. Not all learning environments elicit or support the use of these epistemic tools equally, thus affecting how students grow in competence in relation to their use. The present…

The article analyses the problems arising in teaching English at a technical university, offers and describes a new integrated method of teaching listening, reading and speaking called the Communicative Circle method. The development of the pragmatic, integrated method of Communicative Circle builds upon the linguo-didactic, integrated, and…

The first module of the online Master of Arts (MA) in Translation at the Open University, Introduction to Translation Theory and Practice, includes a language development strand which encourages students to diagnose their own language development needs and introduces them to tools, resources, strategies, and learning communities that will enable…

A method for the assessment of competence in language is suggested that allows a new approach to the study of the sources and conditions of competence development. The method builds on the functional analysis of text building behavior, making use of the discontinuities in produced text as the only reliable observations from a scientific point of…

Currently, there is a practical demand and necessity for research on how English-as-a-second language (ESL) learners acquire literacy skills, such as spelling. One important issue of this research agenda is how ESL learners apply first-language knowledge to learning to spell in English. Twenty-seven studies were reviewed that investigated the…

In this article, the authors evaluate a Swedish pilot scheme that targeted immigrants with weak Swedish-language skills registered as unemployed at public employment offices. By sandwiching work-oriented language teaching and practical workplace training, the project aimed at enhancing the employability of project participants but also at alerting…

The present study investigated the changes in Japanese students English writing behaviors over a 3.5-year period using multiple data sources including written texts, videotaped writing behaviors, and stimulated-recall protocols. Data from student interviews supplemented the analyses. Because 6 (henceforth, English as a second language [ESL]…

In order to investigate second language (L2) processing at ultimate attainment, 20 first language (L1) English and 20 L1 Dutch advanced to near-native speakers of German as well as 20 native Germans were tested in two experiments on subject-object ambiguities in German. The results from a self-paced reading task and a speeded acceptability…

The Victorian (Australia) assessment approach of developing national subject profiles has potential for language assessment. Within each language area, levels of development would be identified and defined by observable language behavior, which could then be tested by a variety of test types. Assessment would be done by teachers in schools using…

The ability of two groups of different language proficiency to make appropriate grammatical judgments and correct sentences was analyzed. With increased proficiency, students moved from a general grammatical ability to an ability to identify and correct details. Results are discussed in terms of concepts of implicit/explicit knowledge and…

One teacher's experience using student-written texts as a basis for testing other students has become a good way of integrating the four language skills in a natural progression and in pinpointing students' language weaknesses. Using students' texts has also reinforced the importance of choosing visual materials carefully. (MSE)

A study of effective training programs for community and court interpreters is reported. The characteristics of 25 well-established interpreter training programs in North America, Europe, and Scandinavia were examined, and 6 of these programs were selected for site visits. The purposes were to identify outstanding models of interpreter training,…

Focusing on English as a second language (ESL) students' cognitive difficulties in content courses, a study evaluated the Retention Exemplary Model Project for 1986-87 of Hostos Community College of the City University of New York. The project's goal was to help advanced and post-ESL students acquire the language and cognitive skills required to…

This report describes the results of the Massachusetts study of foreign languages, part of the second phase of the Massachusetts Educational Assessment Program. The assessment was conducted using a random sample of students from all over the state during one year of testing. The report is presented in five sections: (1) background of the study;…

Many intensive advanced English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes become boring for advanced ESL learners because the courses offer little opportunity for them to experience the interplay between language proficiency and background knowledge. The implementation of a sourcebook project can provide a renewing input into the curriculum for advanced…