Proposes that the study of basilectal and acrolectal Singapore English can contribute to a better understanding of second language acquisition and use, emphasizing the operation of the monitor and specifications of the hierarchy of difficulty in the acquisition of syntactic structures. (Author/CB)

A review of research leads to the proposal that infants' perception of "fragile" contrasts is lost due to their lack of exposure to particular sounds. Perception of "robust" contrasts is lost around the onset of formal language training due to children's lack of experience with phonologically irrelevant sounds. (Author/CB)

Results question the validity of Cummins's threshold hypothesis and suggest that degree of bilingualism is related to variability in cognitive measures only before a certain threshold of proficiency in the second language is attained. A cause-effect model in which degree of bilingualism appears as the causal factor affecting children's cognitive…

Reviews a secondary school version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) that focuses on two of the primary language skills: listening and reading. Subtest includes a variety of tasks measuring semantic, syntactic, and higher-level reading comprehension abilities. (NKA)

The performance of native and nonnative Hindi-Urdu speaking children (N=131) and adults (N=30) in the comprehension of the Hindi-Urdu correlative constructions was analyzed. Results indicated that Hindi-Urdu correlative constructs are acquired relatively late by both native and nonnative speakers, suggesting that language universals are available…

Ninth-grade Francophone students (N=95) living in a bicultural milieu responded to tests including scales of ethnolinguistic vitality, attitudes, motivation, self-confidence, and second language competence and usage. Analyses indicated that contact with Anglophones and self-confidence with English as a second language were related to motivation,…

A self-assessment unit developed to encourage accuracy in English as second language teaches adult students to: determine and assess the cost of errors in their native language; develop sensitivity toward errors in their native language; and focus on accuracy in speaking and writing. (Author/CB)

Relative proficiency in Gaelic varies by age in a Highland Scottish region where Gaelic is spoken by a decreasing number of bilinguals in a steadily aging population segment. Although proficiency ranges from full fluency (and Gaelic dominance) to minimal generative skills (and English dominance), there are also deviations at both extremes.…

Reports a study which examined the ability of adult immigrants to communicate as they were completing a 30-week, 900-hour second language program and then again six months later. Two cohorts of learners were interviewed: one comprised of immigrants from Southeast Asia and the other of Poles and Latin Americans. (Author/SED)

Describes a study which measures the threshold of second language reading competence and explains its nature. Results indicate that the threshold is reflected in a 65-70% score on the reading section of the First Certificate of English exam and that the most important element for text interpretation is vocabulary. (SED)

The development of an oral language proficiency rating scale for use in evaluating New Brunswick's junior and senior high school students' core French program achievement is described and discussed. (MSE)

Reviews earlier studies of the effect of student background knowledge on reading comprehension and then reports on a third investigation into the same effect. Concludes that the test results obtained in the study can be accounted for in terms of an interaction between background knowledge and linguistic proficiency. (Author/SED)

Discusses some of the cultural differences that lead to different traditions and styles of communication, considering word usage/nuances of the language, grammar, style/tone, Arabic tradition of emphasis, and Japanese communication style. An interdisciplinary course that pays extra attention to the needs of foreign graduate students is also…

Analyzes three programs comprised of subject study integrated with English as a second language study. Although each program is different, it is suggested that by citing their common intentions, other language program designers might be able to create similar components of subject study suited to the learning needs of their particular students.…

Discusses Michael Canale's paper, "Considerations in the Testing of Reading and Listening Proficiency," focusing on the third section, "Suggestions for improvements in receptive language testing." Considers such areas as: (1) level descriptions for academic use, (2) item and item types, and (3) validation. (SED)