In this response article, the author agrees with Jacobson that the labeling of individuals as "hard to serve" is unfortunate and misdirected in that it suggests that these students are somehow deficient and are the problem rather than identifying complex systemic issues that make some adult education programs necessary in the first…

Transitions in ESL contexts generally refer to those linking words placed between sentences and between paragraphs. Transitions in writing (and in speaking) are helpful; they facilitate coherence and cohesion when used correctly. Understanding them when reading allows us to join the writer in seeing why and how idea B follows idea A. In this…

It is a good practice to try to understand matters at hand by first stepping back and adopting an historical perspective, which I will begin this review by doing. Next, I will take up the challenges that each of the authors in the articles in this volume has presented for the study of complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) in second language…

This article critically scrutinizes a number of issues involved in the definition and operationalization of complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) constructs. It argues for maintaining clearer distinctions between CAF, on the one hand, and notions such as linguistic development and communicative adequacy, on the other. Adequacy, in particular,…

Is it possible to explain students' conceptions of natural phenomena purely in terms of the interactions between two people and the language they use during an interview? I argue that this hypothesis cannot be accepted on several grounds. First, contextual factors prior to the interview influence the course of its events, and that these in turn…

Presents an interview with Dave Johnson. Considers how to handle classes with students who have not only differing levels of English language fluency, but also speak many different languages. Discusses particular kinds of poems or themes that work especially well for English as a Second Language instruction. (SG)

Recent insights into speech production are used to shed light on the dynamics of listening and resolution of fluent speech. Specific restoration processes are exemplified to illustrate what effective listening strategies encompass. Processes involved in auditory decoding, lexical decomposition, and semantic interpretation are seen as important in…

Discusses the provisional proficiency guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and explores their application to two important areas of foreign language education--testing and curriculum development. Reviews the features of proficiency and achievement tests and describes two proficiency-based curriculum projects.…

An example of an integrated sequence is provided that demonstrates how language learners are autonomous in their language use and are responsible for the pace, direction, and outcome of their work. It is suggested that establishing a principled connection between tasks modelled on natural sequences of language use is a key element in providing for…

Addresses the effectiveness of the oral proficiency interview in assessing foreign language skills, responding to arguments regarding the logic of the interview method, the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines and levels of proficiency, and the relationship between linguistic knowledge and the bases of…

Rebuts the monolithic view of language in which languages are discrete entities which clash in bilingual communities by suggesting that immigrant communities tend to develop mixed vernaculars in which children may well achieve fluency in the language of the larger society. Circumstances under which such fluency does not develop are identified.…

Examines the conceptual fluency theory in second-language teaching, illustrating the concept and offering examples of its feasibility in several languages. The paper suggests that to ignore metaphor is to ignore a large segment of the native speaker's competence. It also makes suggestions for second-language teachers wishing to make conceptual…

Addresses three issues important to second language learner output: (1) negotiation of meaning; (2) learner production; (3) and repair work. Explains the theoretical background based on research findings, and suggests ways some of these findings may be applied to classroom situations. (Author/VWL)

The pronunciation and use of /s/ in the isleno dialect of Spanish, a dying language spoken in a small ethnic enclave in southeast Louisiana, is examined. Today, there are fewer than 20 fluent speakers of isleno Spanish, which has been described as a fossilized derivative of the speech of Canary Island peasants with additions from Spanish sailors.…

Explores a way to use gossip in the language classroom to provide language fluency practice. Shows how certain interpersonal exchanges can be encouraged by exploiting the natural proclivity for talking about people. Activities stress social aspects of learning and are intended to provide learners with opportunities to talk and listen. (Author/VWL)