This paper describes the past assumptions about the mismatch of child language and school language, noting the distance principle, the characteristics of language interference and the various treatments that have been hypothesized. Past research involving language mismatch and reading is reviewed, and it is noted that even though the best evidence…

Examines the effects of aptitude, field independence, attitude, and strategy use upon four areas of language achievement: formal/oral, formal/written, functional/oral, and functional/written. Test results indicated that aptitude and field independence are related, as are strategy use and attitude; only aptitude and strategy use, however, affect…

A general model for second language learning is proposed in this paper. First, this model aims to describe different components (input, intake, integration, output) of the learning process in terms of the information (explicit/implicit, linguistic/sociolinguistic) to which the learner is exposed. Secondly, the model serves to identify the stages,…

In order to attempt to identify the linguistic difficulties of slow learners, errors made by two groups of English-speaking adults learning French as a second language were compared. The subjects of the two groups shared similar characteristics, with the exception of the amount of time required to cover the same linguistic material (Group 1: 17…

This study is intended to help experienced practitioners and student teachers gain a systematic understanding of language learning. Part I is a general introduction discussing the second language learner and first language learner. Part II describes the adult interview study; the method, procedure, and results of interviews with good and poor…

This paper discusses the conflict occurring as a result of two languages and their corresponding cultural bases coming into contact in North America, particularly in the context of bilingual education. Difficulty exists in translating awareness of problems such as language interference, cultural shock, and lowered self-image into attitudinal…

This report is the result of an investigation conducted to identify the current issues, resources, and funding priorities in Spanish-English bilingual education in the United States. Although it deals solely with Spanish-English bilingualism, a great deal of the material should prove to be relevant to other bilingual situations in the United…

Argues for a teacher role in research on learning processes and views a teacher's task as twofold: to discover what students do as they perform foreign language tasks, and to implement procedures in which strategies of skillful students provide a basis for remediation of strategies of unskillful students. (Author/EJS)

This article describes a Cognitive Preference Inventory, which translates a compilation of test data into a "cognitive style map" of an individual's learning preferences. A study noted here demonstrates how learning preferences and styles can be coordinated with teaching method for highest language learning achievement. (CHK)

Foreign language teaching is a process which involves interaction, communication, personal contact, and a deep understanding of the student. Teachers must develop competencies in working with different kinds of learners if effective instruction is to materialize. This book identifies the competencies that language teachers should possess and…

Spanish students in four inner-city high schools were first tested for conceptual tempo and then given the Test of Oral Proficiency in Spanish (TOPS). It is concluded that speeded and timed tests not only allow impulsive examinees to answer too soon, but often pressure normally reflective examinees to respond impulsively. (EJS)

A description of four research strategies which are different from the commonly used between-groups design: the sub-group method, the regression or correlation method, the case study method and the ethnography method. Two studies carried out in Montreal using the regression method are discussed. (AMH)

New freedom and change in the foreign language profession are the focus of this volume. Chapters concern the following topics: (1) curricular changes--new freedom for students to explore varying time arrangements, different learning styles, diverse content, and various locations for instruction (T. Bruce Fryer); (2) communicative competence in the…

A brief review of the history of cognitive style research and a summary of definitions and terminology used by investigators in the area are presented. Most of the research on cognitive style has been motivated by work from three major groups: Witkin and associates; Holzman, Gardner, and associates; and Kagan and associates. Various definitions of…

This volume consists of the following papers selected from those presented at the 1977 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages: (1) "Educational Cognitive Style: A Basis for Personalizing Foreign Language Instruction," by Derek N. Nunney; (2) "Discovering Student Learning Styles through Cognitive Style Mapping," by Helen S.…