Argues that the teaching of business culture and terminology requires a variety of pedagogical resources. Suggests that comic strips, due to their versatility, ease of use and cultural relevance, can usefully complement textbooks and activities commonly used in Business French courses. (12 references) (Author/CK)

Discusses the effects of new educational policies enacted by Proposition 227 (California) and Proposition 203 (Arizona) on English Language Learners (ELLs) and their teachers. Presents a conversation among the authors on convergence of reforms, high stakes assessment, scripted reading programs, language planning and policy, effective learning…

Determines whether French immersion programs result in detrimental effects on the ability of children in such programs to read and write in English. Finds that writing in English and French is fairly comparable across languages and that there is a transfer of processing behavior across languages. (MG)

Argues that second language learning is a form of enculturation that involves learning the perspectives and identities that a culture allows and values. Proposes that a language teacher is actually changing the cultural identity of the student. (FMW)

Investigated the effects of cue adequacy on second language learners' ability to infer and remember the meaning of new words. Subjects who received cue-adequate sentences reported greater ease in word inference, scored higher in inferring and remembering the contextual meanings of new words, and better retained the contextual meanings of targeted…

Three methods by which hearing adults process speechread information are discussed: selective adaptation, immediate memory, and repetition priming. Also discussed are mental representations of speech by hearing-impaired and hearing children, infants' responses to speechread stimuli compared to other stimuli, infants' speechreading of a foreign…

A study of factors affecting high school students' language study persistence indicated that students continuing foreign language study were motivated by practical, utilitarian reasons, while students discontinuing language study cited course difficulty and preferences for other courses as reasons for withdrawal. (Author/CB)

Examines multilingual settings in Canada and Germany and explores the differentiation between second- and third-language acquisition as well as the differentiation between acquisition and learning. The article outlines priority areas for further research and presents the prospects for a greater recognition of multilingualism as a resource in…

Describes the development of a hypermedia environment model that evolved from a project at the University of Southampton. Examines the use of this interactive environment as a way of providing online resources to teachers and students of second language learning, and discusses the design process of this hypermedia model. (JMV)

Explores use of reading comprehension instruction to develop oral language in language-minority students. Outlines six teachable abilities that could be developed in students--including determination of important and unimportant aspects of text. Lists ten instructional suggestions that draw on the primary language, cognitive strengths, and social…

To make text attractive to readers, writers may add supporting information. In texts of the characteristic topic type, this information may include narrative accounts, questions to the reader, and the use of examples. The use of narrative accounts and examples may confuse the reader. Awareness of topic type may help overcome some of these…

Reinterprets the question of whether second-language reading is a language problem (linguistic threshold) or a reading problem (linguistic interdependence), using data from a study of 186 adult native English speakers reading in English and Spanish. Results indicated that neither hypothesis is wholly reflective of the second-language reading…

Argues that before autonomous approaches to language learning are implemented, it is necessary to gauge learners' readiness for the behavioral change that autonomy implies. Data collected from a questionnaire on learner beliefs about language learning is presented. Factor analysis of subjects' responses indicated six underlying dimensions. (41…

The LABLIB system at the Language Centre of the University of Turku, Finland, is described. LABLIB is a computerized bilingual information retrieval system that assumes a minimum of user computer expertise and includes comprehensive information on tape recordings, video programs, and other teaching materials. (four references) (LB)

The "Go for Gold" task-based English for Special Purposes course for second-year business students at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology is described. It is argued that a syllabus may have a process focus without being totally learner led. A sample list of student expectations and evaluation forms are appended. (31 references)…