Argues that allegations of reticence and passivity set up against Asian English-as-Second/Foreign-Language learners are over-generalizations. A close look at research from which these allegations originate reveals that the allegations are largely based on impressions of a small number of teachers or professors registered in small-scale surveys,…

Describes a pilot study that aimed at gaining insights into how language learners benefit from training in interlingual subtitling. The study showed that students' communication competence in both their first and second language improved while they simultaneously mastered transferable skills. (Author/VWL)

Suggests that exposure to recurrent topics and vocabulary in authentic texts helps students develop reading competence and confidence. Approaches narrow reading from three perspectives: one employing a corpus analysis of newspaper readings to demonstrate how narrow reading lowers the vocabulary load of texts, one learner-focused, reporting…

Provides an extensive resource list on foreign language Learning in relation to at-risk students and students with foreign language learning problems. (Author/VWL)

Identifies a set of writing conventions whose primary function is to monitor the development of a crucial component of narrative, the crisis of the story, but that are also customarily used by skilled writers to enhance the attention-getting power of their expository writing. Shows that English-as-a-Second-Language learners who have not learned to…

Focuses on second language teaching with a format-based method. The differences between a format-based teaching method and a standard approach used as treatments in a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group are described in detail. Examines whether the effects of a format-based teaching method and a standard foreign language method differ…

Describes the preliminary findings in the Basque Country of a project shared by four European countries to teach a second language or a foreign language to preschool and school-age children. The method used to teach the foreign language--English--is based on the use of dramatized formats. Examines level of language proficiency achieved with each…

Describes eight changes that fit the paradigm shift in second language education toward what is often called communicative language teaching: learner autonomy, cooperative learning, curricular integration, focus on meaning, diversity, thinking skills, alternative assessment, and teachers as co-learners. The paradigm shift is examined as an element…

Investigated specific patterns for a reactive approach to form-focused instruction: corrective feedback and its relationship to error types and immediate learner repair. Data is drawn from transcripts of audio recordings made in four French immersion classrooms at the elementary level, totaling 18.3 hours and including 921 error sequences.…

Provides insights gained from a study of 19 foreign countries regarding foreign language education. The study looked at what the United States can learn from these countries, examining specific policies and practices that could inform U.S. foreign language education. Implications of study findings are discussed. (Author/VWL)

Examines incidental and transitory focus on form. Learner uptake was studied in focus-on-form episodes occurring in 12 hours of communicative English-as-a-Second-Language teaching. Learner uptake was generally high and successful--to a much greater extent than has been reported for immersion classrooms. (Author/VWL)

Examines reasons for the failure of modern language teaching to fulfill its cultural aims and focuses on teaching methods, student assessment, course content, and teacher role. Conclusions are that teachers must be aware of the implications of different teaching strategies, their influence, and limitations. (17 references) (CK)

Discusses the Egyptian government's decision in 1994 to require the learning of a second language at the primary level in the public schools. The article focuses on Egypt's desire to have its citizens achieve an educational status that is competitive on a global level and delves into textbook content and pedagogical ideas that will shape the…

Examines the major mainstream language teaching methods that have been explored in "The Modern Language Journal," showing how they came into being and what caused them to become strong as opposed to other methods. Looks at other historical and academic factors that caused the methods to divert and divide into several channels. Suggests potential…

Advocates a concordance- and genre-based approach to academic essay writing for non-native students. Describes a project that aimed to teach undergraduate law students to write formal legal essays. Students identified structural characteristics and used concordances to explore possible correlations between the generic structures and particular…