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…

Discusses the L1=L2 hypothesis which states that, all other things except knowledge of language being equal, first language acquisition is the same as second language acquisition. Reviews the evidence for and against the hypothesis, looks at current research and considers the general distinction between formal and informal learning. (SED)

This report discusses a study on the use of modern media techniques in long-distance oral testing that preserve the possibility of interaction by using video teleconferencing. Two test administration modes, face-to-face and screen-to-screen, are compared in an experimental design. (10 references) (VWL)

Compares pair work to other modes of classroom interaction in a group of 20 mixed-nationality English-as-a-foreign-language students. The pedagogical, social, cultural, and psychological implications of pair work are questioned, and the use of pair work as an unquestioned "blanket" methodology is challenged. (13 references) (JL)

To address theoretical claims for the importance of negotiated interaction to the comprehension of second language (L2) input, different classroom interactional behaviors of L2 learners were compared. Results indicated that direct participation in negotiation was most effective in facilitating comprehension of less-advanced students; however, this…

A feature shown to affect learners' performance on tests of spoken interaction is the gender of the person with whom the learner interacts. To test this hypothesis, 12 Japanese learners were interviewed, once by a man and once by a woman. Comparison of scores indicated that in all but one case the learners performed better when interviewed by a…

Demonstrates the relevance of second language teaching by discussing the English progressive aspect. Suggestions are made for how the teaching of the progressive to beginners of English could be improved. (Author/VWL)

In two foreign language lessons with substantial amounts of undirected student-student talk, postlesson protocols were used to compare learner uptake from teacher and from peers. It is suggested that the validity of free-communication activities in the typical proficiency streamlined foreign language class lies not so much in the peer input they…

In a study of cultural differences and information dissemination, a group of unsuccessful Ethiopian English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) university students in Israel were compared with a typical Israeli EFL group. Results show that unsuccessful learners use similar strategies for reading comprehension, etc., but their use is "mechanical." (18…

Discusses a study of the relative benefits of a year-long reading comprehension course for English as a foreign language students, compared with an intensive summer course using the same curriculum. Students were separated into groups according to their language abilities. Although improvement in both cases was nearly equal, the summer course is…

Examines the interactions of pairs of language students working with multimedia. Specific comparisons are made of the patterns of discourse of second-language English Speakers and native English speakers within a framework for analyzing the interactional dynamic that incorporates the ways that exchanges are shaped by constraints. The implications…

Attempts to explore, evaluate, and discuss the proposal to introduce English as a foreign language (EFL) in Saudi elementary public schools. The study compares the EFL achievement of private intermediate school children who studied English in elementary school with the achievement of their counterparts in the same school. (35 references) (GLR)

Reports on a study where tertiary English-as-a-Second-Language learners of intermediate and advanced proficiency were required to complete three types of grammar-focused exercises commonly used in the classroom: a cloze exercise, a text reconstruction, and a short composition. Comparison of exercises completed individually with those completed by…

Reports on a longitudinal study that investigated changes in the beliefs about second language learning of 146 trainee English-as-a-Second-Language teachers at the City University of Hong Kong. First-year trainee beliefs were collected using Horwitz's Belief About Language Learning Inventory and compared with teacher beliefs. Differences were…

Assessment of fourth-year pupils in two neighboring London schools (one grammar, one comprehensive) over a full academic year indicated that student attitudes, motivation, and proficiency, often influenced by placement in ability groups, significantly affected second-language learning. (Author/CB)