Outlines a study project that attempted to combine an inquiry into the language and cultural background of Texas German-Americans. Interviews and project reports were prepared by college students on the premise that they could benefit from the contrasts observed between the standard language of the classroom and the local nonstandard variants.…

Studies are reported which attempt to discover the exact level of second language proficiency reached by students in second language immersion programs, with emphasis on analysis of error. (RM)

Takes a historical look at technology in the language classroom, from the perspectives of students, teachers, administrators, researchers, and curriculum and materials designers. Emphasizes that the successful use of technology depends upon teachers' capability to incorporate it effectively in their programs and on the development of imaginative…

States that the difficult Asian languages such as modern standard Chinese, Japanese and Korean, should not be taught in primary or lower secondary schools to non-background speakers of those languages, that is, those whose mother tongue is related to the language being learned. Maintains that time should be spent in primary and secondary schools…

Discusses views of former students of the faculty with respect to the Chinese language program at an Australian university, including their needs and expectations of the program, suggestions for improving the program and perceived successful features and views on how well the program prepares students for China-related business dealings and…

Focuses on the challenges associated with the introduction of language education in a secondary classroom containing learners of diverse backgrounds. Presents the results of action research of two groups of girls studying French. Findings indicate that a large group of learners can develop language skills through pair work and group activities and…

Discusses the different varieties of Spanish, the decision of which variety to teach to native speakers, and the concept of a "standard" usage. Basing the decision on sociolinguistic research, this article proposes a spoken and written variety of Spanish to be employed in teaching native speakers in the United States. (Author/JL)

Provides data on the acquisition of Basque in the Basque Autonomous Community (Spain). Reports recent data and results of research studies on bilingual education and the use of Basque, and then focuses on one of the language plans developed by the Basque Government: the "Basquisation" of civil servants. Analyzes results of this plan and…

A study compared the pragmatic performance, using the Adolescent Pragmatics Screening Scale, between two groups of students (n=14) who had been enrolled in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes for varying lengths of time. Results yielded information about the rate at which Latino bilingual students' English pragmatic skills emerged.…

Discusses the measurability of linguistic and communicative competence in light of the performance/competence dichotomy, and proposes a method for measuring loss of communicative competence using spontaneous speech data. (11 references) (Author/CK)

Describes an Australian student's experiences in Japan as a visiting student and her efforts to communicate with colleagues and children while working in a local kindergarten. The article discusses the author's worries about communication with the children and her sightseeing experiences, as well as the courtesies of her hostess. (Author/CK)

Reflects on the achievement in math and science of Australian students in an immersion French program. The immersion math students outperformed mainstream students at a level not significantly different, and by the end of the first year, the science students performed as well as their mainstream counterparts, indicating that immersion students…

Explores conceptual syntheses advancing second language (L2) word recognition research and uncovers agendas relating to cross-linguistic examinations of L2 processing in a cohort of undergraduate students in France. Describes connections between word recognition and reading, overviews the connectionist construct, and illustrates cross-linguistic…

Examines one aspect of second-language syllable structure, syllable-final clusters, in the English of a Vietnamese first-language speaker. The article shows that errors apparently not due to native-language influence can be so attributed using the cluster reduction rule, that the position of a reduced consonant can be predicted based on…

The English Language Institute at Gallaudet University (District of Columbia) prepares foreign deaf students to attend college in the United States through a year-long intensive literacy program in American English and immersion in American Sign Language and deaf culture. The Institute's educational philosophies and teaching strategies focus on…