Within the same learning context, learners' outcomes in terms of oral fluency vary greatly. This study tracked the relative contributions that first language (L1) and initial second language (L2) fluency skill and working memory (WM) made to L2 fluency development. We assessed the performance of French-speaking Grade 6 learners' (n = 47, mean age:…

L2 test developers often use scripted spoken texts in their L2 listening tests, because it is efficient and practical to create scripted spoken texts that meet predetermined test specifications. But because scripted spoken texts differ in a number of fundamental ways from unscripted spoken language, there are potential threats to validity when…

In commercial materials for the teaching of second language (L2) pronunciation, common bottom-up approaches segment phonology into a series of discrete and decontextualized linguistic components with rules that students are encouraged to internalize. Such approaches seem out of step with recent second language acquisition (SLA) theory and research…

High-stakes tasks may prevent language learners from performing successfully due to factors of "communicative stress" (Skehan, 1996, p. 52). Little research, however, has directly examined phonological patterns in learners' performances on low-stakes, medium-stakes, and high-stakes classroom tasks. The current study investigated the oral…

For this dissertation, teacher linguistic awareness (TLingA) involves teacher linguistic knowledge, teacher language awareness (TLA), and teacher cognition for second language (L2) teachers. Teacher linguistic knowledge is an understanding of how language functions and is compiled within the different areas of linguistics. And TLA is the knowledge…

The earliest stages of adult language acquisition have received increased attention in recent years (cf. Carroll, introduction to this issue). The study reported here aims to contribute to this discussion by investigating the role of several variables in the development of word recognition strategies during the very first hours of exposure to a…

This study examined the role of phonological memory in second language (L2) grammar learning in a group of native French-speaking children undergoing a 5-month intensive English program. Phonological memory (as referenced by Arabic [ANWR] and English [ENWR] nonword repetition tasks), L2 vocabulary (receptive and productive vocabulary knowledge),…

A set of instructional materials for introductory Tunisian Arabic is designed for a 12-week Peace Corps volunteer language course. It provides instructional notes for the teacher and a series of lessons on aspects of grammar, phonology, and morphology. Much of the text is descriptive. Lessons include grammar and phonology notes, exercises, and…

The lessons in this workbook are intended to supplement existing taped materials in the French Basic Course. Emphasis is placed on creative activities, realistic situations, and authentic speech variations. The materials can be used for self-study purposes as well as in a language laboratory under the guidance of an instructor. The units in this…

This volume is the first of nine in a basic course in German, revised edition. It is concerned with the pronunciation of German, the most common structural patterns, and basic vocabulary. The volume is divided into 15 lessons, each of which is intended to cover the work of one day, that is, six hours of classroom instruction and three hours of…

This course is designed with one primary goal in view: to encourage and lead the learner to communicate in Navaho in and out of class. Each of the 13 units has a "preparation stage" which consists of a self-instructional program on various grammatical points together with other activities for the student preparatory to meeting with the instructor…

This textbook, prepared by the Defense Language Institute, is designed to acquaint students of Czech with Slovak, a language closely related to Czech. The phonology and morphology of the two languages are briefly compared. Some of the most frequent lexical items differing from Czech are presented. Students are expected to acquire only a passive…

The lessons in this teacher's guide are intended to supplement existing taped materials in the French Basic Course. Emphasis is placed on creative activities, realistic situations, and authentic speech variations. The materials can be used for self-study purposes as well as in a language lab under the guidance of an instructor. The seven units in…

This first volume of the DLI Basic Course in French contains 15 lessons, one for each day of the first three weeks and initial phase of the course. Every fifth lesson is a review lesson. The objective of the initial phase is to enable the student to distinguish and produce the sounds of French with sufficient accuracy to understand and speak…

This is the first in a set of two volumes of a Moroccan Arabic course. The volume contains 50 units preceeded by a description of the transcription system and a guide to pronunciation. All units include a dialogue in Arabic with an English translation, followed by notes on grammar and usage. Unit 7 introduces "situations," basically…