This paper presents empirical results from an analysis of English and German conversational fillers produced by bilinguals. They reveal that even accomplished bilinguals do not display an overall native-like realization of conversational fillers in their second language (L2). Along with the findings of L2 studies showing that the comprehension and…

Reports research in cross-cultural differences between Americans from the United States and Germans, regarding the connotations of vocabulary items, specifically two sample words: "Cliquen" and "Kneipen." Over a period of five years, more than 50 native speakers from both cultures, who had experience with the other culture, were interviewed on…

Outlines the mission of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) as it enters the 21st century. The plan is based on the belief that bringing the language and cultures of the German-speaking world to all Americans is an endeavor serving the national interest. The AATG seeks to foster excellence, promote access to German programs, and…

"Extensive" reading has been discussed in the recent research literature as a viable, indeed preferable, means of helping learners develop fluid, more native-like reading skills in a foreign language. But extensive reading texts, in order to be comprehensible at the beginning/intermediate level, are either "diluted" authentic texts, or…