The study reported here assessed the contribution of short-term memory to differences in standardized listening scores for each of five types of auditory input. Memory for syntactically arranged words proved to be the best predictor of listening skill in this battery of tests. (SED)

On tests of English proficiency, 55 Iranian students studying in the United States scored between levels achieved by Fourth- through seventh-grade native speakers. The subjects indicated that association with Americans and time spent in the United States rather than studying English in Iran contributed to their success in English. (PMJ)

Nine generalizations on optimal age, first language cognitive development, and second language academic achievement are proposed in order to expand the current theoretical base in second language (L2) acquisition. These generalizations summarize research on L2 acquisition for schooling purposes. (57 references) (Author/VWL)

Describes a study of the interrelationships among three tests (a standardized English-as-a-second-language test, a cloze test, and a written composition test) which sought to determine whether adding the cloze test to the ESL test would improve the predictability of students' communicative proficiency, as reflected in their writing test…

Describes a study which examined the relationship between age and achievement of adults in an instructional setting. Older (25 to 41) and younger (17 to 24) French-speaking students were compared with respect to short-term development in aural comprehension. Results suggest that achievement rate decreases with increasing age. (SED)

An evaluation of a Des Moines program, in which the relationship of student background and program achievement was examined, is summarized. It was found that more instruction in English was beneficial in the first year of schooling, but had diminishing effects during the second and third years. Implications for similar programs are discussed. (MSE)

Reports on a study of the effectiveness of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) in the acquisition of English as a second language by Arabic- and Spanish-speaking students in an intensive program. Examines two student variables--time spent using CALL lessons and attitude toward them--as well as four cognitive/affective characteristics.…

Understanding spontaneous speech is a very difficult task for many foreign students. They must be taught to use all the ethnographic cues available to enable them to predict the likely content of a text. They must predict not only the factual content of spoken language but also the interactional structuring. (Author/CFM)