A study investigated the hypothesis that topic familiarity and assessed difficulty of a second language text correlated positively with performance on reading comprehension tests in languages for special purposes (LSP). Subjects were 177 advanced students of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at Ben Gurion University (Israel). Faculty from the…

Papers in this volume on contrastive linguistics include the following: "Auxiliaries in English and Danish" (Niels Davidsen-Nielsen); "On Tongue Twisters" (Wlodzimierz Sobkowiak); "On Derivational and Phrasal Adverbials of Manner" (James L. Wyatt); "Scrambling and the Polish Word Order. An Alternative Hypothesis" (Przemyslaw Tajsner); "Verbs of…

As part of a larger study of school system communication with second language parents in three Alberta (Canada) urban senior high schools, this study focused on analysis of interview data from teachers responding to questions on intercultural communication barriers and bridges with students and immigrant parents. Data were collected through 30…

A Canadian study of student orientation (integrative, instrumental, or other) and its relationship to second language learning motivation and sociocultural factors in the learning environment is discussed. The study compared the orientations and stated reasons for studying a second language of over 800 grade 11 students with data on three…

This introductory Czech text is based on principles emphasizing development of basic communication skills. Speech samples reflect practical language spoken in everyday situations. The text is designed to be used by American foreign service professionals in foreign countries and to be accompanied by videotapes (unavailable to the public). The text…

Articles and reports in this issue include the following: "Co-text or No Text: A Study of an Adapted Cloze Technique" (Dave Coniam); "Small-Corpora Concordancing in ESL Teaching and Learning" (Bruce K.C. Ma); "Interdisciplinary Dimensions of Debate" (S. Byron, L. Goldstein, D. Murphy, E. Roberts); "Can English…

The numbers of culturally and linguistically diverse students in classrooms at all levels of study are increasing dramatically. In addition, the available information indicates that in general they are not performing well scholastically. Five articles address this issue; they are remarks from a 1992 symposium of members from the Teachers of…

This paper analyzes a study by Fukushima (1990) of the English offers and responses of Japanese English as a foreign language (EFL) college students and reports on an experiment designed to address the perceived weaknesses of Fukushima's work. Fukushima's study found that many Japanese EFL learners could not use appropriate levels of politeness in…

The relationship between instructional treatment manifested as mastery learning and non-mastery learning strategies and various measures of Spanish proficiency was studied with 41 freshmen at an all-female high school in the New Orleans (Louisiana) area. Subjects were grouped homogeneously into 2 classes of 22 and 19 students, representing the…

This guide is designed for adults who want to improve their literacy and basic numeracy skills in English. The guide is partly a workbook, providing room for learners to write directly on the pages. It contains facts and figures of interest to both learners and teachers, and it encourages discussion and provides its users with an opportunity to…

A study investigated the relationship between language contacts made outside of the classroom by Japanese foreign students and how those contacts affect their participation within the classroom and their overall academic performance. Subjects were 32 university students from Japan enrolled in an intensive language program. All of the students had…

This document contains materials describing outcomes and proficiencies for grades 4, 8, and 12. The materials are to be used by Colorado school districts in developing a standards- and outcomes-based approach to curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The outcomes and proficiencies considered bridge traditional departmentalized curriculum and the…

The working papers contained in this volume include the following: "Research on Language Learning; How Can It Respond to Classroom Concerns?" (Teresa Pica); "Building Rapport Through Indirect Complaints: Implications for Language Learning" (Diana Boxer); "(Bi)literacy and Empowerment: Education for Indigenous Groups in…

Papers from a conference on language teaching and testing are grouped in four sections. The first contains a foreword by Dale A. Koike and Antonio R. M. Simoes. The second, on research in second/foreign language teaching, includes the following: "Second Language Learning and Evaluation: From Theory to Classroom Practice" (Sandra J.…

This report describes the design and development of the MASTER program, an autoinstructional model to supplement introductory foreign language courses, and examines its application in two French language courses offered at Brevard Community College. The first sections contain introductory material, a review of the literature on second-language…