The present study investigates the degree to which social, experiential and usage-related factors correlate with Spanish linguistic competence among adult Hispanic Heritage Language (HL) speakers in the United States. Two online survey instruments were developed in furtherance of this research aim: a Likert-scale survey measuring five areas of…

The Guidelines for Good Practice of the European Association for Language Testing and Assessment (EALTA) stress the importance of collaboration between all parties involved in the process of developing instruments, activities and programmes for testing and assessment. Collaboration is considered to be as important as validity and reliability,…

This article argues that a native-speaker baseline is a neglected dimension of studies into second language (L2) performance. If we investigate how learners perform language tasks, we should distinguish what performance features are due to their processing an L2 and which are due to their performing a particular task. Having defined what we mean…

This article reports on a case study of negotiation that occurred in peer group oral interactions under assessment conditions. Discourse analysis was used to illustrate how participants negotiated and co-constructed the assessment format itself as well as meaning exchange sequences. Analyses of the data point to the advantage of using peer group…

This study sets out to examine the pragmatic competence of Cantonese adult learners of English possessing different levels of proficiency when performing the speech act of requesting for a formal purpose in writing. Pragmatic judgment--one of the two aspects of pragmatic competence--was examined by studying the most proficient group (i.e., native…

Research concerning the success factors in language immersion education is reviewed, focusing on five major schools of thought. First, the traditional model for immersion research, implemented in a Montreal (Canada) suburb is examined. Then three studies of the influence of affective variables in immersion program success are examined, and it is…

Examines the efficacy of foreign language programs at the elementary school level by looking at three programs--immersion, partial immersion, and foreign language in the elementary school--currently found in 15 schools in the United States. Comparisons are made by measuring achievement in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. (SED)

A brief discussion of the history, organization, program, advantages and effectiveness of immersion centers, schools offering only the immersion program, in Canada. Some of the small amount of existing research is reviewed. Although there are no definitive conclusions, it is suggested that such centers may offer a better educational program than…

Presents study conducted to determine whether sentence combining approach would increase rate of written syntactic development of college students of French, German, and Spanish. Results show it is effective for teaching some aspects of writing to intermediate foreign language students. (BK)

Reviews available research on the effects of school-sponsored ethnic language programs on students' attitudes toward the ethnic language, their own ethnic group, and themselves. Studies indicate a generally positive effect of programs on attitudes, including attitudes toward speakers of other languages and other ethnic groups. Discusses findings…

Language laboratory effectiveness in secondary schools and related research are discussed. Criteria for five elements determining the laboratory's effectiveness are described: (1) the teacher, (2) the teaching materials, (3) the testing and grading programs, (4) the student practice sessions, and (5) the equipment. Some general remarks are made…

Philippine students in grades K-6, representing different socioeconomic classes, participated in individual elicitation sessions. Using Pilipino (Tagalog) as the language of elicitation, experimenters used pictorial stimuli to elicit specific structures of English grammar, in order to discover if the subjects had mastered these structures. Only…

This study arose from the recently published report of the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) in Britain, "Primary French in the Balance" (1974). The study consists principally of a series of discussions between the project leader, Ontario Ministry of Education officials, the principal investigator, and other invited…

This article examines the linguistic benefits of Latin in light of recent research which seems to document the relevance of Latin in building English vocabulary and reading skills. Evidence is cited from eight educational projects in which an experimental group of students taking Latin, and a control group not taking Latin, were pretested,…

Research studies from different areas of the country are cited to support a favorable view of the effects of FLES instruction and to identify the most effective FLES instructional arrangements. Effects of FLES instruction on language achievement in elementary and high school and on general achievement in elementary school are noted. A study on…