The communicative aspect of the reading skill resides in the ability to interpret culturally authentic messages in the foreign language environment. A task-analysis procedure is useful in identification of appropriate communicative materials, strategies effective for the decoding process, and evaluation techniques that capitalize on the…

A study was conducted to test various explanations of the error of unmarked noun plurals made by first generation Italian immigrants. The error appeared to be "fossilized" or not eradicated over a period of time. (SW)

There are insufficient resources for providing instruction in English as a second or additional language for Vancouver's Chinese-speaking adult population. A pilot program designed to reach this population is described. The first volume of the series "Practical English," used in San Francisco, was revised for the pilot project. (SW)

A discussion of trends in foreign language testing covers current preferences in test types (especially for oral proficiency testing) and external influences on instructional program development and student evaluation strategies. (MSE)

Discusses the role of second-language proficiency from international, national, and state perspectives, including consideration of the need for such proficiency in science, technology, and research for economic development. Trends indicate that a more internationalized curricula in higher education and a greater demand for second-language…

Study of native speakers of Yoruba who spoke English as a second language found that transfer of learning from one language to the other decreased with increasing proficiency in English. Transfer from Yoruba to English was higher than from English to Yoruba at lower levels of proficiency in English. (Author/CB)

Describes the revision of the program of study for foreign language majors at Bates College (Maine). The strengthening of the college's literature component and cultural studies are recommended for other small, liberal arts colleges. (CB)

First-year University of Hong Kong students were subjects in a study using sex, verbal intelligence, personality, and attitudinal variables as predictors of English language skills. Results showed that levels of proficiency in reading, writing, listening, and speaking were independent of one another. (LMO)

Describes a method of using newspaper articles in the English-language classroom called Read-Ask-and-Tell. The place of authentic materials in the classroom, including some of the pitfalls, are discussed. The Reading, Asking, and Telling components are outlined, and activities for consolidation and reinforcement of skills are suggested. Appendices…

Summarizes presentations given at the second annual symposium "Man and the Media" at the Institute for Romance Languages at the University of Saarbrucken, West Germany in September 1986. Includes comparisons between French and German news coverage on TV, teaching French using TV, and cross-cultural problems in using instructional videos.…

Describes the development in progress of a syntactic parser of German called "Syncheck," which uses the programing language "Prolog." The grammar is written in a formalism called "Definate Clause Grammar." The purpose of "Syncheck" is to provide advice on grammatical correctness to intermediate and advanced…

Seventy-four grade 8 pupils in Hong Kong were randomly assigned to an experimental class, with English as the language of instruction, and to a control class, with Chinese as the language of instruction. Pupils in the immersion program were not hindered in academic achievement but did not improve second-language proficiency. (JHZ)

Data from the fifteenth American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages survey on foreign language enrollment are presented in charts which indicate public high school enrollments (in Spanish, French, German, Russian, Italian, and Latin) from 1980-1985, foreign language enrollment by state, level of instruction, and enrollments in less…

Describes students' and teachers' reactions to working in peer feedback groups in a foreign language composition course, including such aspects as peer feedback compatibility, process approach to writing, and ways in which feedback teams can function more effectively. (Author/CB)

A sentence interpretation experiment conducted with university-age native English speakers, Japanese English as a second language (ESL) speakers, and native Japanese speakers (N=12 per group) suggested caution in attempting to typify languages on the basis of processing strategies drawn from probabilistic tendencies evident in grouped data.…