Describes a university English for academic purposes program that takes a focused approach to preparing nonnative-speaking students for academic writing and research across the university curriculum by developing proficiency with computers, library resources, and research methods. (Author/VWL)

Tracked the acquisition of 11 words over the course of a year for three adult learners with advanced proficiency in English. Four kinds of words were measured for knowledge: spelling, associations, grammatical information, and meaning. (Author/JL)

Attempts to reinterpret the threshold hypothesis, which states that low second language (L2) proficiency blocks the transfer of first language (L1) reading strategies to the reading of L2 texts. Results indicate that it is not only low foreign language proficiency but also text difficulty in terms of register complexity that negatively affect the…

Tests the hypothesis that there is no monotonic relationship between increasing competence in different linguistic domains and growth in second-language proficiency. The article concludes with an introduction to some assessment models that can accommodate discontinuous growth patterns. These models can describe and model a student's qualitative…

Explores effects of first-language verb-argument structure on English-as-a-Second-Language processing. Native Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Romance language speakers (all advanced English speakers) provided word-by-word reading times and gramaticality judgment data in self-paced reading tasks. Results suggest that reliable differences in parsing…

Examined the learning strategies used by 43 American learners of Arabic as a foreign language in their writing tasks. Learning strategies were assessed through a process of introspection. When composing, students wrote down all techniques and procedures used to perform the writing task. Results show both proficient and less proficient learners…

Describes a framework for examining the effects of the cognitive complexity of tasks on language production and learner perceptions of task difficulty, and for motivating sequencing decisions in task-based syllabuses. Results of a study of the relationship between task complexity, difficulty and production show that increasing the cognitive…

Examines the possible role of maturational constraints on first language acquisition and second language learning. Reviews research on the special circumstances of delayed first language acquisition and the effects of age on second language learning. Suggests that ability to attain native-speaker grammatical competence may diminish long before…

To expand cognitive knowledge, increase language competency, and promote active learning, a content instructor and a language professor collaborated to develop a final unit in which teams of Japanese college sophomores, studying in a 10-month program in the United States, teach their classmates in English about a topic of interest concerning…

Focuses on developing courses that facilitate progress toward American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages advanced proficiency by discussing a third-year composition and conversation course designed to increase students' communicative skills. Also examines redesigning programs to meet the diverse needs of students and suggests links to…

Focuses on the increase in discourse-based studies of oral proficiency assessment techniques. Discusses research carried out on a number of factors in the assessment setting, including the role of interlocutor, candidate, and rater, and the impact of tasks, task performance conditions, and rating criteria. (Author/VWL)

Reports a study gauging the average oral proficiency as measured by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) of college students (n=20) studying German at the end of their fourth semester. Discussion centers on reasonable expectations for high school graduation and for college language…

This article answers some frequently asked questions about bilingual education. Suggests that a large percentage of the public is unaware of the benefits of bilingual education. (Author/VWL)

Examines the theoretical and practical issues of exit-control testing, and gives some practical suggestions about possible means of implementing such controls. Delineates the complexity of issues involved in implementing exit standard controls and proposes guidelines for implementation. (Author/VWL)

Discusses factors that influence learners' listening comprehension in relation to a group of Chinese English-as-Second-Language learners in Singapore. Reports on how one type of knowledge, within a broader framework of metacognitive knowledge, affects listening comprehension in learners of different ability levels. (Author/VWL)