In the context of a conversation in French between the author and her young English-speaking son, this discussion of methodology, the relative importance of grammar, progress in grasping the mechanisms of a language, and communication based on real needs raises questions for foreign language teachers. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

A literature review pertaining to the teaching and learning of stress and intonation in native and second languages considers the functional movement, conversational English, the difficulty of learning stress/intonation, stress within words and sentences, difficulties for speakers of tone and syllable-timed languages, and tests of stress and…

Video's use of longer input sentences with only loosely defined learning aims can create positive conditions for second language acquisition by providing contextualized language input in a low-anxiety environment and by positively harnessing the medium's entertainment associations. (Author/CB)

A study examined the effect of authentic language materials on cultural identification and language production of kindergarten children, especially in relation to classroom structures and routines as they appear through ethnographic analysis. (MSE)

The goals of intercultural education inherently involve values: development of a conceptual framework of how peoples interact, developing an in-depth knowledge of at least one other culture and language, and developing an educated imagination. (MSE)

The knowledge of foreign languages must be based on reasoning and logical insight, and second language instruction must move from the pragmatically based courses of recent years towards a new approach in which language is seen as a means to action, and where analysis, synthesis, and correct use will occupy a central position. (CB)

An experiment on second language learning placed college students in a psychology course taught in their second language (English or French) in "sheltered" classes. Comprehension was emphasized. Second language proficiency, self-evaluation, and subject-matter performance gave evidence supporting this approach to second language learning. (MSE)

A review of literature regarding the communicative approach to language teaching discusses achievements and problems with this approach, language learning and the social self, speech and cognition, and reactive and proactive initiative. The need to develop language learning environments which will enhance proactive initiative and self-reliance in…

Addresses issues involved in the acquisition of English as a foreign language (EFL) outside of the classroom and the conflict this often creates with English learned within the classroom. Some suggestions for development of future EFL syllabi are made to ensure the creation of effective, relevant resources. (Author/CB)

Describes a project that considers: how one's ability to produce non-native linguistic intuitions develops during adult second language acquisition; how non-native intuitions relate to the emerging of one's receptive and productive abilities in a second language; and what may be the appropriate empirical methodologies for collecting and analyzing…

The formation of relative clauses in the work of 48 Italian high school students of English as a foreign language who performed a variety of written and oral tasks is analyzed. Results indicate that markedness can be a valid predictor of interlanguage but that it can also constrain intertask variability. (CB)

Identifies some underlying assumptions about language, testing and its use, and second language acquisition (SLA) for those current on the issue of oral proficiency assessment. Suggests that even with its limitations, the assessment procedure can become a source of data for future SLA research. (Author/LMO)

Success in transaction and interaction in the foreign language classroom depends on teachers and students knowing the parts they have to play and how they relate to those that others have in learning encounters. Various roles of teachers and learners are defined. (CB)

Outlines a multistep writing program in which English as a second language students participate in the writing process and relate to their fellow writers (classmates and teachers) in various ways, using journals, learning logs, and essays. The extent to which activities increase writing proficiency and reduce students' writing apprehension is…

A survey of 434 students of beginning Spanish at the University of Pittsburgh revealed "indifferent" attitudes toward second language courses (required at the school) and a lack of high school training in culture, literature, and conversation among those who studied Spanish at the high school level. (CB)