The adption of the Common European Framework Reference (CEFR) as a guideline in Malaysian English language education has led the Ministry of Education to replace locally-developed English textbooks with a selection of imported titles. While considering the significance of intercultural skills in the English curriculum, there is a need to look into…

Language educators argue that foreign language learning in the United States should increase students' intercultural competence (IC), which will allow them to see relationships among different cultures, mediate across cultures, and critically analyze cultures including their own. Qualitative research investigating students experiences with such…

The criteria employed in most textbooks to differentiate "ser" and "estar" followed by an adjective are mainly semantic. Most exercises offer to second language learners too high a proportion of "estar" usages, a practice that leads to overgeneralization with regard to the use of "estar." An experiment was…

It is the contention of this paper that there are general principles which determine the choice of the form of the diminutive and that these principles can and should be included in a first-year college Spanish text. The paper begins with a critical analysis of the traditional rules for diminutive formation, followed by a review of the information…

Despite some exceptions in recent years, most elementary foreign language texts continue to be organized in a typical "twenty-five lesson" format bound by an old-fashioned idea of continuity. It is argued that this format is a major source of student frustration and a barrier to optimum second language acquisition. As one possible alternative, an…

In a politically changing world, "languages in contact" must be redefined as "speakers of different languages in contact," and the implications for language learning and teaching must be recognized. Phenomena occurring beyond the languages themselves should be addressed in both language instruction and the construction of…

Developments in the linguistic and non-linguistic scenes in the Philippines indicate the emergence of a dialect of English that should appropriately be labelled Philippine English. Filipinos paradoxically have emancipated themselves from American English by taking over the code for their own creative uses. Philippine English has become and will…

This paper discusses the ways in which pictures in current German magazine advertisements can be employed as effective visual aids in basic grammar drills. The structures discussed here are the reflexive verb construction and two aspects of the passive voice construction, namely the passive to indicate activity-as-such and the contrast between the…

This paper focuses on helping social studies teachers discover ways to help second language students comprehend, use, and learn language as well as content in the classroom. Activities conducive to this purpose include: providing contextual support such as pictures, globes, videotapes, diagrams, body and facial gestures, pantomime and role…

An analysis is presented of nine textbooks that have been developed in Germany for English language instruction in secondary schools. The purpose of the study is to describe the view that Germans appear to have of the United States as reflected in the information and opinions expressed in these textbooks. It is noted that all the textbooks…