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 medieval writer, the nun Hildegard von Bingen, learned Latin without any formal instruction in it. Her case is described as an example of language acquisition by hearing it read, sung, and expounded and by visualizing it as though it were written down in a kind of phonetic script. (21 references) (Author/LB)

A detailed, nonimpressionistic assessment checklist is presented for teach-yourself language packages. Two example research applications are given: a survey of a range of course packages, and an analysis of the patterns of materials used by an individual learner of Hungarian. (39 references) (Author/LB)

Some 107 students participated in a study exploring factors that influence satellite-delivered language achievement. Of the factors (motivation, learning style, learning strategy use, gender, previous language learning experience, and course level), student motivation was by far the most significant determiner, followed by learning strategy use.…

Presents Dr. Kato Lomb's conclusions about language acquisition, which agree with current theory: comprehensible input is central; grammar plays a peripheral role in language development. (Author/CK)

Examines how college English as a foreign or second language learners' beliefs about language learning are related to their learning strategy use. Results found that language learners' self-efficacy beliefs about learning English were strongly related to their use of all types of learning strategies, especially functional practice…

Autonomous language learning is justified by three arguments: the ideological, the psychological, and the economic. This paper discusses how teachers can use autonomous learning as an approach to the curriculum as a whole, bridging the gap between public classroom activities and private learning activity, and examining all practices from 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…

Highlights the unifying role of metacognition in all levels of learner training. The article argues that one of the premises of any self-directed program should be that of enhancing students' metacognition to prepare them for their own learning autonomy. This paper describes an application of this principle including two examples of its use by…

Basic thinking regarding certain aspects of learner autonomy is presented as well as certain cultural traits that may impede the promotion of autonomy. The use of large-scale simulation can create a learning environment that promotes autonomy. It is concluded that concrete acts of taking responsibility imbue the learner with a sense of autonomy.…

Investigates the notion of autonomy in relation to distance language learning, and examines the skills and strategies needed by those learning at a distance in order to achieve successful outcomes. Explores in particular the dilemma posed by the highly structured nature of open university language courses and the need for learners to develop…

Describes how in one English language teaching project in Japan, students studied English in a way that increased their ability to participate in their community, both presently and in the future. Searching out a range of information resources from their own context and on the Internet and connecting them with their daily life, they experienced…

Reports on language-learning strategies of a group of Indian college students studying English in the environment of an indigenized variety of English. Data for study were collected through a questionnaire--the English-Language-Learning Strategies Inventory (ELLSI)--designed specifically for the study. Results indicated that Indian college…

Examines learner strategy in two English-as-a-Second-Language classes in Singapore; one class received instruction in asking higher-order questions, whereas the other did not. The treatment class asked significantly more higher-order questions and provided significantly more elaborated responses during small group discussions. (51 references)…

Examines the effects of learning words grouped in semantic sets, using Japanese words paired with artificial words. A principal finding was that there was a main effect against learning semantically related words at the same time. The article concludes that presenting students with wordlists of new words in semantic clusters, rather than in…