This study presents a comparative literature review of the research studies related to the effects of drama in teaching English as a foreign language. First, the study explains drama in education with regard to foreign language education. In a narrative review design, it demonstrates international studies in four categories under which the…

This paper describes and supports (through citations of published literature) hands-on and personalized activities that help English (and any other) language learners of all ages and skill levels to acquire and express integrated reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. The paper discusses use of motor activities, video, graphic art works…

Identifies three sociological dimensions that constrain the selection, production, interpretation, and reporting of verbally manipulative behaviors; discusses two texts illustrating the dimensions; and examines some problems of conceptualization and measurement. (FL)

Noam Chomsky's theory of grammar, or more specifically his theory of syntax, proposes to describe all possible English sentences through an explanation of how the native speaker generates sentences. It is the study of one's competence that offers insights into how language is acquired and how the rules and generalizations of that language are…

A review of problems and prospects regarding the communicative approach to second language teaching considers learner needs, syllabi, "real" communication, teacher concerns, and future prospects. While there is a set of shared assumptions about the concept of a genuine communicative approach, there is no one specific communicative method. (CB)

Results of synthesis of 1007 studies on the nature of learning disabilities using indicators in the linguistic, achievement, neuropsychological, and social-behavioral domains, indicated that 75% of learning disabled Ss could be differentiated from normal Ss but only 40% of the variance could be explained. Findings suggest the need for a…

Contributions of the methodological procedures and principles offered by Labov and Gumperz are evaluated, especially regarding the problem of observer effect in community-level investigations of linguistic minorities. The need for accountability and openness in data collection and analysis procedures is emphasized. (39 references) (Author/LB)

This study compared a story-based video instructional package, with a feature-length film as its focus, to a text-based program. It explored the effectiveness of each approach to enhance the listening and grammar performances of intermediate-level college French students. Twenty-seven students at two institutions participated. A pretest-posttest…

In its broadest sense, metalinguistic awareness refers to the study of or reflection upon language as an object--the form and structure of language rather than the content, the way in which the form expresses or relates to the message. One value of research on metalinguistic awareness lies in its potential for testing adult notions about the ways…

Thirteen manuscripts and extended reports on the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical applications of research are presented in this status report on speech research for the period of July-December 1979. The topics dealt with include speech perception, children's memory for sentences and word strings in relation…

Examines the role of "routines" and grammatical patterns in first and second language acquisition by children and adults, specifically with regard to syntactic structures. (Author/AM)

Reports on a longitudinal study on the effects of students' early linguistic development and family background on test performance when the students reach the end of their compulsory schooling years. Finds a considerable degree of continuity between early language development and later examination performance. (CFR)

The decontextualized nature of literacy has been a recurrent issue in discussions of the consequences of literacy over the last twenty years. The central thesis of these discussions is that the nature of written discourse itself leads directly or indirectly to changes in cognitive processing, linguistic progressing, cultural development, and/or…

Reflecting interest in children's language development, including an increased emphasis on written language production, this paper contains a review of research, some assumptions about children's language development, and a list of objectives for a combined literature and writing program for above-average students at the intermediate level. The…

Focus is on an assessment model that integrates process-oriented and eclectic approaches to cognitive, linguistic, motoric, and social assessment of this population. (Author/DLS)