While Australian policy supports cultural diversity and promotes language instruction, public attitudes and the resources available for language education are not favorable. The lack of progress may be attributed in part to the nature of decision-making processes, resulting in unbalanced and ill-conceived policy. National language policy-making…

An investigation was conducted to describe the context of distance learning by examining the factors to which first-year distance learners attribute their success and failure and the influences on those attributions. It tested the attribution theory of achievement motivation in a distance learning setting. The method was a qualitative case study:…

A study brought together literature appreciation, schema theory, and cross-cultural studies to explore the relationship between the backgrounds of students in one sixth-form literature class in Sierra Leone and the contexts of the plays described in the drama section of the "A" level literature syllabus of the West African Examinations…

A review of French dining habits and table manners outlines: elements of the place setting, courtesies used at the table, serving conventions, restaurant tipping, the size and content of the different meals of the day, subtle differences in common foods, restaurant types, menu types, general wine and cheese choices, waiter-client communication,…

The structure of the university English department in Third World countries is examined with respect to curricula, objectives, policies, and traditions. Examples are drawn from Arab countries, India, Pakistan, and several African countries. The typical syllabus in English has offered a complete coverage of English literature, but little emphasis…

A series of short texts focus on German eating habits and types of eating establishments. Vocabulary is glossed in the margin and each text is followed by comprehension questions. Menus from a restaurant, an inn, and a fast-food restaurant; vocabulary exercises; a word search puzzle and its solution; and directions in English for conversational…

Teachers of composition have an obligation to students to know what assumptions underlie their teaching methodology. Every writing course, no matter what its format, represents a particular construct of reality, of seeing the world and the individual in the world, which, in addition to writing skills, is passed on to students. Several useful…

Certain scholars in anthropology and education have recently suggested as an approach to combat school failure for minority students the concept of cultural congruence--the idea that learning is best accomplished in classrooms compatible with the cultural context of the communities they are supposed to serve. Although this concept is yet to be…

To help students develop a broadly generative approach to reading and writing about literature, teachers of literature should employ not only systematic procedures, but also the eclectic and utilitarian spirit of rhetorical invention. A semiotic perspective offers the most solid theoretical foundation for establishing a genuinely heuristic…

Two claims are made concerning the interrelationship of language acquisition and socialization processes: (1) the process of acquiring language is deeply affected by the process of becoming a competent member of a society; and (2) the process of becoming a competent member of society is realized to a large extent through language and through…

Extending an earlier analysis by Giovannoni and Becerra (1979) that compared attitudes of Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites toward child abuse and neglect, this discussion provides an in-depth analysis of responses by Black parents. Vignettes describing situations of potential risk to children were rated by 129 Black respondents. The vignettes…

The assumptions of stage theory and major theories of child art are reviewed in order to develop an explanation of artistic expression that allows for variable endpoints and accounts for relationships between children's drawings and adult art. Numerous studies indicate strong similarities among children's early drawings, which suggests that…

Examining the cognitive processes of reading-to-write as they are embedded in the social context of a college course, this introduction to and overview of the 11-part Reading-to-Write Project study focuses on the study as a whole by sketching the reading-to-write task as one of practical importance, as a window on how students integrate reading…

A workshop on participatory research was held at the University of Calgary on May 3, 1988, as the first step in a two-step process, of which the second step will be a national conference to be held in July, 1989. The overall purpose of the workshop was to draw researchers (80 participants) together to share in the planning of the major conference…

Distance educators, particularly those in developing countries, are facing the implementation of massive education programs with little research to guide them. Some developing countries have used established programs from other countries as models to provide low-cost instruction for basic literacy and job training; however, in many cases, they are…