Graduates who typically have L1 English, have majored in one foreign language (FL, L2) or more at university and have gone on to occupy FL posts in the UK civil service have reported mismatches between their pre-employment L2 learning and the tasks they face in the workplace. Such reported divergences in UK civil service capability have not,…

In recent decades, there has been a plethora of studies on language learning strategies (LLS hereafter). However, the research to date has mostly examined students' views on LLS, and there are few studies reflecting teachers' views. In contrast, this study surveyed 257 EFL students and 12 teachers to explore their views on the frequency and…

A much under-researched issue in higher education is the extent to which English-medium university courses help students improve their English proficiency in an ESL context. Adopting a longitudinal, mixed methods design in which quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed, the current study tracked English language improvement,…

Proposes a model for the inclusion of a pronunciation teaching unit within second language/foreign language teacher preparation programs. A pilot course was offered at the University of Kansas in 1998. It was expected that this component would give prospective language teachers the requisite background for making decisions concerning pronunciation…

Presents a comparative analysis of median frequency rates of explicit cohesive devices employed in academic texts of students who were speakers of English, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, and Arabic. Specific focus is on cohesive devices, such as phrase-level coordinators, sentence transitions, logical-semantic conjunctions, demonstrative pronouns,…

Adult English-as-a-Second-Language students enrolled in a speaking improvement course (which emphasized general speaking habits) read aloud lists of true and false sentences at the beginning and end of the course. Native speakers judged their intelligibility, comprehensibility, and accent. Most participants showed significant improvement in at…

Measured self-efficacy and learning goal orientation in the foreign language learning domain. Investigated relationships between self-efficacy, learning goal orientation, and foreign language achievement. Students studying German at Pennsylvania State University completed the new instrument--the Measure of Foreign Language Achievement (MOFLAP).…

Examines the performance and perceptions of 100 university-level learners of French as a foreign language, with a view toward exposing the impact of social pressure in the learning environment. Addresses the contradictory nature of learners' perceptions of what it means to "sound good" when speaking French. (Author/VWL)

Stresses the importance of the inner voice in second language (L2) learning and, in particular, its potentially valuable role in interaction with sensory images and affective impulses in creating mental representations of the world. Outlines characteristics and functions of first language inner voice by reference to a corpus of inner voice…

Examines the role of American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines in language proficiency testing, focusing on Japanese language instruction and discussing how effective that system is in relation to university classroom instruction. Two main issues are addressed: viewing ACTFL Proficiency Tests as having the…

Focusing on a project in curricular innovation at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), this paper reviews in what sense a task-based approach to syllabus design constitutes an innovation. Then, the UIUC model of curricular innovation is outlined and is analyzed for the extent to which a complete, coherent process of innovation…

Reports on a study that investigated the effects of reading instruction on reading attitude and reading process by Korean students learning English as a Second Language. Interviews were conducted to determine reading attitude, while think-aloud procedures were used to examine reading process. (Author/VWL)

Surveyed English-as-a-Second-Language teachers of adult learners from New York and Puerto Rico to determine their attitudes about consciously teaching grammar in second-language courses, comparing results to research on the subject. Most teachers from both groups had clearly defined approaches to grammar teaching. There were between- and…

Presents results of a questionnaire filled out by international students regarding years of English study, length of residence in the United States, free reading habits in the first and second language, and television watching. Reading in English, English study in the home country, and length of residence in the United States affected students'…

Examines whether there is a strong relationship between second language learners' noticing of benefactive auxiliary verbs and their use in communication. Participants were university students who had acquired Japanese at home without receiving any formal instruction. Data were collected in face-to-face interviews, an interpretation task with 20…