Investigates the institutions in Cheshire, England, where Spanish is taught. The method involves a survey by questionnaire of 16 Comprehensive schools, 3 VI Form Colleges, and 5 Colleges of Further Education. Of the 24 institutions sent questionnaires, 79% were returned and analyzed. Results are provided. (four references) (CK)

Describes a research project designed to evaluate the adoption of process writing by secondary English teachers in Hong Kong. A range of attitudes is identified among the participants. The teachers' profile suggests that they can be assisted in actualizing the necessary conditions for implementing the process approach by provision of suitable…

Reports on a case study of formative evaluation of the materials and procedures used in a distance-learning French-language course. Identifies and evaluates key teaching design features of the draft audiovisual and print packages. Discusses teaching design in relation to revisions made to the course materials. (CFR)

The low number of minority foreign language educators reflects an overall decline in the number of minority educators. Both declines pose serious threats to effective education in the future. This article discusses difficulties of definition of the term "minority" and reviews the literature regarding minority students and the minority educator…

Describes a study that found, contrary to previous reports, that a strong, symmetrical release from proactive interference (PI) is the normal outcome for switches between American Sign Language (ASL) signs and English words and with switches between Manual and English alphabet characters. Subjects were college students enrolled in their first ASL…

The term "ethno-lingual relativity" is a perspective that is not limited by one's own cultural and linguistic experiences, but rather is open to the contrasting cultural and linguistic patterns of other peoples. This article explores the hypothesis that having such a perspective might facilitate second language acquisition. (19 references)…

A study of classroom interaction in French foreign language reading classes in Brazil is reported. Based on analysis of 40 hours of classroom discourse, it is concluded that student responses represent internalization of teacher and student roles, mutual relations, previous foreign language background, and conceptions of reading in the foreign…

Discusses the attitudes of the Arabic-speaking peoples toward the learning of Western languages, particularly English. Ethnic Arabs regard Arabic as a God-given language. The Arab world is suspicious of any form of foreign influence: political, economic, cultural or educational. A case study of Lebanon is presented. (21 references) (CK)

Reviews studies positing gender differences in communicative styles and documenting differences between boys' and girls' classroom behaviors, along with feminist critiques of such studies. Also investigated are perceptions of secondary students of English as a Second Language (ESL) about gendered speech. (53 references) (LR)

Overviews differences regarding goals and approaches for foreign language (FL) education and identifies obstacles to consensus. The author situates the different discourse communities interested in FL education, and the contexts providing the "raison d'etre" for these differences. Two responses to this overview and the author's reaction to them…

Describes a two-year Anglo-French pilot project undertaken to develop a systematic program of study for understanding foreign cultures while learning the language of that culture. The teachers participating in the project integrated the project material with their own syllabuses and used it to extend their language skills. (eight references) (CK)

Investigates the effectiveness of two types of computer feedback: one is traditional computer feedback that indicates only missing or unexpected words in the learner's response, and the other is intelligent computer feedback that provides further information about the nature of the errors in the form of metalinguistic rules. (17 references)…

Studies the acquisition of timing control by Australians enrolled in first-year Japanese. Instrumental techniques are used to observe segment duration and pitch patterns in the speech production of learners and native speakers. Results indicate the learners can control timing, but their phonetic realization differs from that of native speakers.…

Discusses the development of a program to have student teachers of French instruct special-needs pupils in a six-week course of basic French to help prepare them for a school holiday trip to France. Pupil and student teacher attitudes toward the program are examined. (MDM)

Describes a learning system developed at Wirral Metropolitan College (UK) for self-access language provision, linked to a competence accreditation scheme. The competency-based approach is suited to languages because it offers a measure of built-in accountability. Flexible workshop provision is an effective means of delivering languages to a broad…