Reports on a qualitative study conducted in the Japanese foreign language context about good foreign language learners, in which strategy use is analyzed in 67 books reporting on "how I have learned a foreign language." Results suggest that there are strategies especially favored in the Japanese foreign language context and that the issue of some…

This study was conducted in a private language school in Auckland, New Zealand to investigate the relationship between course level and reported frequency of language learning strategy use by speakers of other languages and to look for patterns of strategy use according to course level and other learner variables (Author/VWL)

The hand computer, which combines word cards with a repetition system, has yielded positive results for memorizing words in foreign language learning. This system is superior to memorizing lists and is flexible in terms of both contents and type of learner. (Contains 34 references.) (JP)

Examines the relationship between and the relevance of second language acquisition (SLA) and language testing (LT). The relevance of LT to SLA is examined based on written interviews with leading scholars in SLA who were asked about the relevance of LT to their work. (Author/VWL)

Evaluates the commonly held idea that girls are better language learners than boys. Results indicate that boys are not weaker in any of the language skill areas tested. Recommends that future research concentrate on the sex and image of the teacher. (EKN)

Suggests that cognitive science, a field that draws on research in linguistics, psychology, anthropology, and computer science, might provide better explanations of student behavior in the classroom than mainstream second-language acquisition research. An attempt is made to show how research from cognitive science might offer explanations for what…

Reports on a study that compared, in two experiments, the learning rates of subjects learning semantically related and semantically unrelated new second-language words. The findings strongly suggest that students have more difficulty learning new words presented to them in semantic clusters than they do learning semantically unrelated words. (18…

Aimed to establish a basis for identifying optimal vocabulary recording procedures by finding out what learners currently do to remember vocabulary learned. Questionnaires, interviews, and examination of student records were carried out. Some learners reported making interesting lists of various types, which differed according to the linguistic…

Argues that the Interaction Account of language learning evokes a narrow view of computer assisted language learning (CALL), and that it does not differentiate sufficiently between the types of CALL now commonly practiced, particularly with regard to the distinctive characteristics of the modes available under the rubric of computer-mediated…

Investigates the role of kanji in second language learners' reading comprehension of Japanese text. Explores how two subgroups of Japanese learners, with Chinese and non-Chinese backgrounds, approach text. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the phenomenon of communicative language testing as it emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a reaction against tests constructed of multiple choice items and the perceived overemphasis of reliability. Traces the legacy of the communicative movement from its first formulation, through present conundrums, to tomorrow's research…

Examines a group of English-as-a-Second-Language learners' listening strategies and the tactics that operationalized these strategies. Also conducted an exploratory analysis of two ways these tactics interacted in the processing sequences of two learners. Data were collected and analyzed using a retrospective verbalization procedure based on the…

Investigates the relationship between second language learners' (L2) vocabulary size and their affix knowledge and attempts to find out the order of affix acquisition. Results show that L2 learners affix knowledge correlated with their vocabulary size and that affixes could be ranked in terms of accuracy order. (Author/VWL)

Builds on a study on modified output to examine the impact of learner proficiency in learner-learner interaction, particularly on opportunities for modified output through interactional moves. Data were collected from leaners of Japanese using two different types of tasks. Results showed that mixed-level dyads provided more interactional moves…

Explores one of the least studied areas of self-directed language learning: The attitudes of the language teachers who work as counselors for self-directed language learners. Within an attitudinal construct, analyzes four different factors (students, past, colleagues, and self) that account for the attitudes that the teacher has towards…