The Scandinavian countries currently face their largest ever wave of immigration. The immigration wave increases the need for immigrants to learn the host language to be able to participate in work life and become a citizen of the host country. Yet, the language training programmes -- 'Swedish for Immigrants' in Sweden have come under great…

Previous research on foreign language classroom participation has shown that oral production has a privileged status compared to less salient forms of participation, such as mental involvement and engagement in class activities. This mixed-methods study presents an alternative look at classroom participation by investigating the relationship…

Second language (L2) learners of tone languages do not perceive and produce the different tones of the target language with equal ease. The most common explanation for these asymmetries is that acoustically salient tones are the easiest to learn. An alternative explanation is that tones are easiest to learn when they are highly frequent in the…

In this study, we explore the impact that parents have on the participation of their children in extracurricular activities (ECAs) in a sample of Canadian parents with children between the ages of four and 17. Employing a concurrent, nested, mixed methods strategy, we use the insights gained through semi-structured interviews with parents to…

We present results of 2006 and 2008 replications of the 2000 General Social Survey (GSS), which included nine questions on languages other than English (LOEs) spoken (Robinson, Rivers, & Brecht, 2006). In 2000, 26% claimed they could speak another language, with 10% saying they could speak it "very well." In 2000, foreign language…

The purpose of the current study was to identify Iranian EFL freshman university students' listening proficiency levels and the listening strategies they employed to investigate the relationship between these two variables. A total of 92 freshmen were involved in this study. The Oxford Placement Test was employed to identify the learners'…

Little research currently examines language instruction educational programs (LIEPs) in states with a more recent growth of the Latino English learner population. To meet this need, the authors examined the content each of the state LIEPs, focusing chiefly on the extent to which the types of language support, as well as the stipulations associated…

The results of the previous studies indicate that no consensus exists on either the attitudes towards EFL writing or the factors that affect these attitudes. In addition, the studies mainly focused on the attitudes of language learners, rather than teachers. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the attitudes of pre-service teachers towards…

This report describes Austin Independent School District English language learner (ELL) students who were more likely to exit the language program within 5 years of 1st-grade enrollment. A summary of student academic performance associated with successful program exit and long-term ELL status is provided.

A study investigated the relationships among vocabulary size, depth of vocabulary knowledge, and reading comprehension in English as a second language (ESL). Subjects were 74 native Chinese- and Korean-speaking students in intensive academic ESL courses in two Ontario universities. They were administered questionnaires to gather demographic and…

A study investigated the rationale of and procedures for gathering data on foreign language programs in secondary schools in Tennessee. The study transcends previous foreign language surveys by suggesting a method of presenting data in a useful format by analyzing foreign language support (FLSPT) in terms of quantifiable factors or "favorable…

The present article describes a research that determined the factors influencing language schools in Brazil to adopt the Internet as a teaching tool. The theoretical framework used was Rogers, E. (1995). "Diffusion of innovation" (4th ed.). New York: The Free Press. theory of perceived attributes. A survey was carried out with 92…

A study investigated the relationship between the 1982 native language proficiency of 4,700 newly-enrolled Spanish-speaking, limited-English-proficient (LEP) kindergarten through seventh grade students and their success rates in acquiring English proficiency in the following 4 years. Findings of the study, and the implications derived from the…

The statewide overview of Texas bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs for limited-English-speaking public school students reports results of a survey concerning program and student characteristics and successful instructional practices. Data for bilingual and ESL programs are considered separately. Student characteristics…

Canadian research relevant to French immersion program development in Ontario is reviewed and summarized. The review includes studies on six program or instructional aspects: (1) attitudes and motivation of immersion students and parents; (2) achievement of immersion students in English language arts and other subjects; (3) French proficiency and…