Considers how research into researchers' theories in English language teaching (ELT) can enhance our understanding of instruction and provide the basis of effective teacher-development work. The nature of teachers' theories is illustrated with examples from classroom research on grammar teaching. Discusses a study conducted with five…

Questions the extent to which non-academic materials can provide sound reading practice and writing models for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students, particularly those from non-Western backgrounds who need to learn Western academic rhetorical patterns as well as academic English. Proposes that journal article abstracts be used to create…

Traces the development of innovations and renovations in the graduate and undergraduate German-studies program at Stanford University. Examines the conceptual framework within which the faculty was operating, discusses the practicalities and specifics of three experimental approaches within the German-studies undergraduate curriculum, and…

Describes the development of a speech-activated multimedia system for foreign-language training. The model allows students to engage native speakers on CD-ROM in lengthy face-to-face dialogs using natural spoken language. (Author/VWL)

Describes a speech-interactive graphics microworld in which learners speak problem-solving directions to an animated agent and in which new scenarios can be authored. A proof-of-concept application is illustrated for sustaining basic speaking skill in Modern Standard Arabic. (Author/VWL)

Discusses how second-language learners whose first languages contain an article system differ in their acquisition of English articles from learners whose first languages do not contain such a system. Reviews the approach of Mizuno's (1988) interlanguage analysis for uncovering the process in second-language acquisition, and summarizes findings of…

Describes an English for academic purposes program design that uses a content-based, integrated skills approach to prepare learners for the demands of mainstream instruction. (Author/VWL)

Investigates the cause of avoidance in learning negation in a Korean as a second-language (KSL) situation. Because Korean has two types of negatives--preverbal and postverbal--examination focused on whether students of KSL avoid a certain negative form, and if so, why. (Author/VWL)

Examines the acquisition of two colloquial English features: word medial /t/ flapping and discourse-marker use. These features are characteristic of North American English and are not taught explicitly through formal instruction. Subjects were ethnic Korean speakers stratified according to English education and sex. (Author/VWL)

Discusses research conducted to develop Japanese multimedia teaching materials for use on the Internet. The research verified the effects of different types of images used in multimedia teaching materials on the story understanding and reproduction ability of Japanese language learners based on a Japanese fairy tale. (Author/VWL)

Aimed to determine the basic English words Japanese students are not familiar with and to develop a reliable and easy-to-use vocabulary survey. Investigated the relationship between familiarity and second language and first-language recall to judge the amount students overestimate their vocabulary when using a self-checking familiarity survey.…

Examines aspects of cross-cultural studies, delineates a concept of culture, explores the interplay of culture and ethics, and analyzes the shifting cultural and economic values as issues that either the economists or the humanists will deal with under the banner of the future global village. (Author/VWL)

Introduces a computer-assisted language-learning system called L2tutor that is designed to provide an immersion experience to travelers before they leave on a trip to a country where a different language is spoken. The learner takes part in a fully mixed-initiative dialog with the system to gain fluency and hone vocabulary and grammatical skills.…

A questionnaire was designed to elicit what adult learners disliked most about learning English. Seven dislikes were identified, including the following: textbooks in English only, role plays, drills, textbooks with no reading material or with artificial texts, homework, inflexible teachers, and audiotapes. (Author/VWL)

Provides excerpts from two thematic units, developed at the 1996 National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center at Iowa State University, that integrate language, culture, and content. (Author/JL)