Educational institutions are placing increased value on language tandems owing to the language development opportunities they offer for learners of modern languages. Where these learners lack autonomous language learning strategies, however, the results can be disappointing, with limited linguistic development taking place. This paper reports on…

The English as a foreign language classroom is a plurilingual setting par excellence since it involves at least two languages. However, plurilingual practices such as code-switching and translation have been consistently discouraged in formal learning contexts, based on the belief that keeping languages compartmentalized helps learning, and…

While concept-based instruction (CBI), grounded in sociocultural theory, has been the subject of increased attention in recent years, it is still a relatively unknown methodology in language teaching contexts. In this approach, the emphasis is on helping learners develop a deep, conceptual understanding of a skill or knowledge area, so that this…

This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the publication of two landmark articles concerning the "good language learner". In the years since, vigorous debate has revolved around both theoretical issues (including definition, classification, theoretical foundation, and the relationship of strategies to successful learning) and…

This article describes a study into the functions of code-switching in EFL classes at a Colombian language school. It was undertaken to decide whether the official "English-only" policy in place in this and other classrooms is pedagogically justified. The results suggest that code-switching may not necessarily be connected to ability…

In recent years, pedagogical pragmatics has sought to improve the effectiveness with which learners express and interpret meaning, through awareness-raising activities that draw on authentic materials and break away from simplistic explanations of form-function correspondences. By and large, these efforts have been informed by an inductive…

For many years, research effort has been devoted to understanding the nature of listening strategies and how listening strategies used by good listeners can be taught to so-called ineffective listeners. As a result of this line of research, strategy training activities have now become a standard feature of most modern listening coursebooks.…

Outlines the potential of the mother tongue as a foreign language instructional resource, including suggestions for classroom use such as eliciting language, giving instructions, checking comprehension, and testing. Dangers of overuse are also pointed out. (CB)

This paper questions the assumption that corpora are authentic, with particular reference to their application in language pedagogy. The author argues that, because of the form the corpus takes, authentic source texts forfeit a crucial criterion for authenticity, namely context, in the transition from source to electronic data. Other authentic…

Describes the beliefs about how to learn a second language held by 34 adults studying English as a second language and how these beliefs may influence what they do to learn. Describes eight modules designed to help these learners discover their own beliefs and consider alternative views. (SED)

Utilizes the metaphor of the marketplace to conceptualize appropriate pedagogy as serving both the global and local needs of learners of English. The article describes a marketplace as a place of business and a locale of culturally-specific forms of discourse. Finally, the article argues that appropriate pedagogy should be appropriate both…

Eastern education may be perceived by Western-oriented educators as something quite different from the latters' "advanced" and "developed" way of educating. Cultural difference in pedagogical practice may be experienced by Western English language educators not as difference but as deficit. Eastern teachers of EFL are sometimes…

Procedures for actually teaching effective listening in a second language (which is frequently tested rather than taught) include: preparing learners to listen; providing support during listening; assigning appropriate tasks; providing positive feedback; and revising teaching notes. (Author/CB)

Summarizes Hillock's findings regarding first-language composition instruction and compares them to research into second-language composition instruction. The article discusses implications for teaching writing to English-as-a-Second-Language students and recommends a process/product, task-based approach to writing instruction. (20 references)…

Looks at the ways grammar and vocabulary are interconnected and suggests some implications for language teaching. Suggests that language teachers focus on word patterns to encourage four aspects of language learning: understanding, accuracy, fluency, and flexibility. (four references) (Author/CK)