Examines group differences in second-language development from perspectives provided by literature on orality and literacy. Results show that university English-as-a-Second-Language students from traditional oral cultures tended to focus on interpersonal involvement in their speaking and writing, and use difficult structures more than students…

Longitudinal study of literary acquisition among first-graders (N=166) from two distinct linguistic communities in a rural Moroccan town showed that the significant differences in Arabic (first literacy) reading achievement between Berber- and Arabic-speaking groups disappeared by the fifth grade. (Author/CB)

Provides a reference base for teachers concerned with problems and issues of teaching foreign languages to Afro-American students in the United States. Cites 51 journal articles, unpublished documents, and doctoral dissertations that discuss rationales for foreign language study by Black students and describe teaching strategies and curriculum…

Examined perceptions of Jewish ethnic group identity relative to attitudinal/motivational processes in the learning of Hebrew, French, and, in some cases, Yiddish by anglophone Jewish-Canadian high school and university students. The Jewish Ethnodynamic Questionnaire was administered to assess student attitudes regarding Jewish identity. 87…

Having children make useful, decorative, and stimulating articles in the second-language classroom is seen as a means of encouraging student participation and active learning. Specific classroom procedures for using this technique to enhance second-language acquisition are suggested. (MSE)

Finds that, among 2100 Hispanic elementary students in a four-stage bilingual program, primary language achievement, instructional level, and oral English performance were important indicators of English reading achievement scores and readiness for reclassification to an all-English program. Contains 17 references and 9 tables. (Author/SV)

Questions the validity of Munby's (1978) approach to analyzing learners' language needs. The results of a study at Hasanuddin University (Indonesia) suggest that a two-stage analysis may be appropriate to explore an organization's complexity and dynamism, and then to target the specific language needs of the constituent units. (Author/CB)

Reviews a number of second-language (L2) classroom-based research projects undertaken at the University of Stirling in Scotland. It is argued that a full understanding of classroom-based L2 learning requires the integration of sociolinguistic studies of the classroom context with psycholinguistic studies of second language acquisition. (Author/VWL)

Addresses questions concerning reading in a foreign language, including: (1) Do reading strategies transfer from native language to second language?; (2) Can reading strategies be successfully taught?; and (3) If a strategies-oriented approach to reading were to be developed, what basic considerations should be included in the approach? (44…

Examines the beliefs underlying promotion and development of self-directed learning and self-assessment, and the emphasis placed on these beliefs in an English language teaching master's degree program. The problems of tension and conflict between self-assessment and institutional assessment leading to certification, and the advantages and…

Studied the effect of content knowledge on learners' participation in interactions between nonnative speakers. Measures of participation included amount of talk, conversational fillers, back channels, topic moves, clarification questions, and confirmation and comprehension checks. Findings support the relationship between knowledge and…

The comprehension processing strategies of 15 monolingual English and 8 bilingual French native speakers were compared with those of 112 second-language learners of French, using stimuli containing word order and clitic pronoun cues in French. Results indicated differential dependence on cue use by native speakers. (Contains 97 references.)…

Examines alternative A-level syllabuses of second-language courses with a view to establishing what implicit definitions and interpretations of cultural learning they embody. The article focuses on that part of course content that fosters understanding of a foreign culture as an integral part of communicative competence. Assessment objectives are…

Second-language narrative development was investigated by focusing on the evaluative use of modal verbs. The data consist of 45 retellings of 6 model stories by 8 Panjabi-speaking youth. Evidence is given for the development of evaluative syntax with age and/or increasing language experience of proficiency and also for inherent individual…

Examines three factors that influence student learning and motivation of beginner foreign-language listening skills: text, context, and gender. Studies responses of fifth graders to computer-based foreign-language learning. Results indicate that providing text with spoken words facilitates the acquisition of listening skills, increases student…