The field of L2 pragmatics demonstrates the effect of instructional intervention on the development of L2 learners' pragmatic competence. Nevertheless, effective instruction requires knowledge of pragmatic performances of L2 learners in naturally occurring conversations, in comparison to those of the target community speakers. This study, using a…

The purpose of this study is to move beyond the more traditional focus on individual characteristics as they relate to anxiety in the use of a foreign language. In order to do this, cultural characteristics, perceptions of the cause of successful learning, and foreign (English) language use anxiety were included as the major variables. Three…

The speech of a sample of Chinese and Korean nonnative speakers of English (n=30) was evaluated by raters of the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) for a degree of fluency and by a computerized silent-pause-detection program. (35 references) (JL)

With the goal of improving the reliability and validity of tests of English as a foreign language, in particular with respect to the question of whether to allow notetaking on EFL/ESL computer-based listening comprehension tests, the present study examined the effects on ESL listening comprehension of notetaking (allowed or disallowed) in relation…

This study investigated whether 199 advanced nonnative speakers of English attending Ohio State University judged the appropriateness of speech acts of giving thanks in ways similar to those of native speakers. The results showed that speakers of Chinese, Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, and Arabic ranked expressions of thanks differently…