This paper reports on a comparative evaluation of the Phrasal Definition Format of the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English and the Sentence Definition format of the Collins COBUILD English Language Dictionary. The study found that English-as-a-Second-Language students expressed strong preferences for having usage examples and for the…

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…

This article compares two English-as-a-Second-Language textbook and curriculum materials trials conducted in elementary and secondary schools of the Sultanate of Oman in the 1980s. Results found that the smaller and more immediate of the trialling processes provided much more usable information for the rewriting of the trial materials. Contains 11…

To see if a process writing approach was useful in improving the vocabulary of English-as-a-Foreign-Language students at a Japanese university, a timed composition, and the first and final drafts of a composition written through process writing were analyzed using the lexical frequency profile (LFP). Results showed that there was no significant…

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 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…

Examines the differences between language teaching in private and public institutions in the same country. The study uses learners' reports on how they are taught and how they learn new English vocabulary as a guide to examine the differences between the two prevailing pedagogical environments in Greece--private institutes of foreign languages and…

This paper examines the development and testing of a machine-translation program designed to translate English text into Portuguese. A comparison of machine- and human-translated texts, using Brazilian secondary school students as readers, found that they were equally understood, both in terms of main ideas and details. (six references) (MDM)

Compares children who studied English as a foreign language in Hungary with a communication/content-based approach to similar children who studied English with a form-based traditional approach. Findings reveal that the former were slightly more accurate in their production of grammatical morphemes in an oral interview and were more fluent. (three…

Examines results from a comparative study of the strategies of distance and classroom foreign language learners (French, German, Japanese, and Chinese) enrolled in a dual-mode institution. Data on strategy use was collected through a questionnaire and the yoked subject technique. Results indicate that mode of study is the predominant influence on…

University English-as-a-Foreign-Language students in Hong Kong who participated in popular literature class that emphasized reading for content and enjoyment made superior gains on measures of vocabulary and reading rate compared to students enrolled in a traditional academic skills class. Eighty-eight percent of the literature students felt that…

Examined the effect of cooperative learning on Lebanese elementary students' acquisition of English-as-a-Second-Language rules and mechanics. Pretest and posttest comparison of experimental and control classes did not significantly favor cooperative learning as compared to individualistic instruction, though low achieving experimental class…

Gender differences in English proficiency as a function of testing method were examined by comparing the scores of a representative sample of Swedish secondary school students who took the national English test. It found that boys performed better than girls on the multiple-choice part, whereas girls did better on the free-response part that…

Compares English-as-a-Foreign-Language students beliefs about language learning, using responses to the Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) to identify similarities and differences across cultural groups. Examination of individual BALLI responses did not yield clear-cut cultural differences in beliefs. (Author/VWL)