Bilingualism (Sanz, 2000), motivation (Pintrich, 1989), and language aptitude (Grigorenko, Sternberg, and Ehrman, 2000) are crucial individual differences that contribute to successful adult language learning. Since Gardner's (1985) seminal work on motivation, many studies have shown that motivation is dynamic and that it affects language…

This paper discusses the conception, goals, highlights, and outcomes of a four-week study-abroad seminar in the Dominican Republic (DR) for pre- and in-service teachers of English language learners from the New York metropolitan area. The seminar was designed to have teachers experience first-hand the phases and challenges of second language…

For this article we aimed to understand the emergence of English as a second language for a newly immigrated Mexican student, a native speaker of Spanish, enrolled in a mainstream kindergarten classroom, who was undergoing the "silent period" (Krashen, 1981). Applying ecological approaches that emphasize learners in relationship with their…

The question whether second languages should be taught by the deductive or inductive method is discussed, and an argument is made for a middle ground between the two extremes. (RM)

Large gaps exist in our knowledge of the process of communication, and the second language teaching profession should focus on closing the gaps in understanding that are significant for the second-language user. Major issues requiring further empirical or other investigation include: the current levels of communicative skills among second- and…

In the 1960's, two medical doctors, Georgi Lozanov and Alfonso Caycedo, discovered independently that certain yogic techniques of physical and mental relaxation could be used to produce not only analgesia but also improved memory and concentration. Systems originally used in medicine and psycho-therapy were applied to education, in particular to…

The suggestopedic technique of second language instruction is sketched. Recent efforts to adopt the technique in parts of the American West are reviewed. The historical precedent of suggestopedia and the interpretation of the technique by two linguists at the 1979 TESOL convention are investigated. Hypnosis is compared to suggestopedia, and…

A thorough investiqation is attempted of efforts to apply hypnosis and suggestive learning techniques to education in general and specifically to second language learning. Hypnosis is discussed in terms of its dangers, its definition, and its application. Included in this discussion is a comparison of auto- and hetero-hypnosis, an overview of the…

Cites experience from a project (in Kiel) teaching German as a second language to show that second language acquisition proceeds not haphazardly but in a well-defined order of stages. As yet not enough is known about what determines these stages to warrant conclusions for teaching purposes. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Discusses the potential value of contrastive analysis (CA) in second language teaching. Describes the psychological basis of CA, briefly reviews the linguistic developments and some of the criticisims of CA, and concludes that both CA and error analysis are useful in understanding the second language learning process. Discusses the classroom…

Summarizes and discusses Krashen's "input hypothesis" as presented in his "Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition." Suggests that the input hypothesis fails to account convincingly for arrested second language acquisition in an acquisition-rich environment and that it is not directly applicable to U.S. high…

Discusses the elements of the language learning process, i.e., language experience, the learner, mental processes, comprehension, learning, the capacities the learner brings to the process, and the conditions for learning and elaborates on their implications for second language teaching. What must occur before the learner moves across the gap…

Reports on experiments that investigated several aspects of foreign language reading, especially the role and influence of the audiolingual component on the learning process. (FL)

Sets up a model in which the functioning of the brain is seen in terms of a computer's operations; then considers the applications of such a model to foreign language teaching and learning, with particular emphasis on feedback and simulations. (KM)

Changing demographics makes the nation's schools increasingly diverse, both culturally and linguistically. In this contribution to the Kids InSight series, the reader will gain an insider's perspective on what it means to be an English learner in a U.S. classroom. By reflecting on one's own work with language learners, one will develop a deeper…