This contribution documents the strategies bi/plurilingual children spontaneously develop when confronted with a task that demands comprehension of texts in a third language. To illustrate these strategies in context, the paper draws from classroom interaction excerpts: small groups of children (ages 8-10) discover meaning in a text in a language…

Computer-based training can be effective in improving second language learners' perceptions and productions of segmental speech contrasts. However, because most previous studies have addressed specific theoretical problems in speech learning, an impact on pedagogy has hardly been felt. Research participants are commonly subjected to rigid research…

Studies on computer-assisted language instruction have shown that using technology can provide students with a sense of empowerment and help them develop effective learning strategies and communicative abilities. However, little research has been done on the effects of using technology in teaching Chinese as a foreign language. This paper explores…

This study examined the social cognitive factors associated with participation in physical activity among Chinese-American youth. Utilizing an observational cross-sectional design, data were collected via a self-administered survey from 84 Chinese-American children ages 6-18. The survey employed items from the Health Behavior Questionnaire and the…

This article examines the relationship between ethnic group affiliation (one's sense of belonging to a primary ethnic group) and second-language (L2) pronunciation accuracy defined here as native-like, nonaccented L2 speech or L2 speech that contains no first language (L1) influences. The study addressed these questions: (a) Is there a…

When Singapore underwent decolonization after World War II, its government--keen on constructing a Singapore-centered identity--sought to replace Chinese schools, which taught a China-centered worldview. This attempt provoked tough resistance from the local Chinese. Succumbing to this pressure, the ruling regime accommodated Chinese schools as…

This book examines the ways in which Chinese literature offers a vast array of prospects, new interpretations, new fields of study, and new themes for the study of women. As a result of the global movement toward greater recognition of gender equality and human dignity, the study of women as portrayed in Chinese literature has a long and rich…

This paper reports on a pilot study of prewriting group discussions, and language of the discussion group, with 22 university students in a freshman English class in Taipei. Students were assigned to groups of Chinese discussion or English discussion on writing assignments. The quality of each group's first and second drafts was compared, and…

This unit addresses the questions of how and why people create order in a world whose randomness and order are for individuals to interpret. This unit uses the Han Dynasty of China as an example of one country's attempt to create such order and unite China successfully for over 400 years. The activities in this unit examine order in politics, in…

A study exploring native English-speakers' and advanced Chinese English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners' beliefs about how a face-threatening speech act, refusal, should be expressed is reported. The two major research questions of the study were: how native speakers of English and Chinese English as a Foreign Language (EFL) differ in their…

A study investigated the effect of the language in which a text is written on the imagery and emotional response of biliterate readers. Subjects were 64 native Mandarin-speaking university students majoring in English in a Chinese university. Subjects read a letter describing a typical trip on a third-class train in either English or Chinese, then…

A study investigated the frequent choice of the term "always" instead of the more appropriate term "often" in the essay writing of native Chinese-speaking learners of English as a Second Language (ESL), focusing on how problematic usage of "always" can adversely affect perceptions of the student's competence in…

The eight units in this volume are designed for use by an art teacher/specialist. Thematic ideas are presented, while skills, techniques, and materials are not dictated. The lessons encourage students to compare and contrast cultures, understand their own cultural experiences, and explore differences and commonalities among cultures. The materials…

American students are exposed to many different romanization systems when learning Chinese. The most important systems include Pinyin, Zhuyin fuhao, Wade-Giles, Gwoyeu Romatzhy, and the Yale system, to name just a few. The Pinyin system, which is built on the English alphabet, is the official transliteration system of mainland China. The Zhuyin…

This study applies reader-response criticism to investigate subject positions of gender, age, ethnicity, and profession through the poststructural analysis of an art work entitled "A Book from the Sky," and examines the relationship among viewer, text (the art work), and artist. A description of the art work is provided as an…