In her article, Icy Lee (2019, pp. 524-536) discusses the differences between comprehensive written corrective feedback (CWCF) and focused written corrective feedback (FWCF). She argues that teachers should concentrate more on focused feedback, and highlight and correct only a few grammar errors or issues with organisation, for example, instead of…

In her position article, Lee (2019) compellingly argues for focused written corrective feedback (FWCF) and offers clear guidelines for teachers to shift their feedback approach. As English language teaching practitioners in Chinese universities, we share Lee's view against any unthinking adherence to comprehensive written corrective feedback…

In this article, we take up and expand upon a number of issues of linguistic theory raised in Ursula Ritzau's recent article "Learner language and polylanguaging: how language students' ideologies relate to their written language use" published in the "Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism". The present critique is…

In this paper, we argue that second language (L2) reading research, which has been informed by studies involving first language (L1) alphabetic English reading, may be less relevant to L2 readers with non-alphabetic reading backgrounds, such as Chinese readers with an L1 logographic (Chinese character) learning history. We provide both…

From an epistemological perspective, Wilhelm von Humboldt's studies on the Oriental and East Asian languages and writing systems (Egyptian hieroglyphs, Sanskrit, Chinese, Polynesian) raise the question of his position in the Orientalist discourse of his time. Said [Said, E.W., 1978. "Orientalism. Western Conceptions of the Orient, fourth…

Premature discontinuation rates among second language students in New Zealand are higher than for most other subjects in secondary schools, although this phenomenon has not given rise to a great deal of debate within the NZ language teaching community. In a recent study into premature discontinuation in Christchurch, NZ, the most frequently cited…

Discusses the teaching of Chinese characters in the second language context. To demystify the difficulty of learning characters, a few myths that surround them are examined. (Author/VWL)

Responds to Block's 1996 paper "Not So Fast: Some Thoughts on Theory Culling, Relativism, Accepted Findings, and the Heart and Soul of SLA," which deals in part with blackboxing, the practice of citing references in support of some given position. Maintains that Block raises an important issue but fails to demonstrate important…

A discussion is launched for examining the possibility of extending the notion of translational norms to oral interpretation. It attempts to pinpoint factors that encumber both the formation and extrapolation of norms for interpretation, and it examines the validity of subsuming these under the existing discussions and norms in written…

This concluding article in a series concerning the use of the comma in Spanish gives specific examples of its use from Spanish literature. Concluding remarks outline the major purposes of the comma. (NCR)

Discusses the problem of the British student of French confronted with French humor in classic and modern French literature. (AM)

Explores the potential of a neural network in language assessment. Nonnative speakers of French were asked to produce a short text in response to a picture stimulus. A neural network was trained to grade the text on the basis of codings. Results suggest that it may be possible to teach a neural network to mimic the judgments made by human markers.…

Reviews four sets of computer-mediated materials for Chinese character learning. These include the following: Write Chinese, Chinese Characters Primer, Animated Chinese Characters, and USC Chinese Character Page. (Author/VWL)

Opposes the proposed simplification of phonetic transcription for English ("Zielsprache Englisch," 1978/4), on substantive and methodological grounds, finding that it cannot be made to reflect the facts of the language, and that it would cause learning problems. (IFS/WGA)

Focuses on the problem of cultural stereotyping in work on intercultural communication. Describes recent interest in culture in relation to language learning and the problematic nature of the concept of culture. Concludes that Chinese attitudes toward academic study are diverse, and argues that culture is a contested area of discourse. (15…