This article outlines and comments on the system of "capitalizable units" and the threshold level approach to the teaching of second languages. (Text is in French.) (CLK)

In this study the inadequacies of rules governing the present perfect in isolated sentences are discussed and then two contextual factors thought to be connected with current relevance and the use of the present perfect are described. These factors are experimentally shown to influence use of the present perfect significantly. (CHK)

Presents an exploratory investigation into the spoken language of teachers and pupils in junior and middle schools in Lincolnshire and South Yorkshire, England, with the focus on comparing the spoken language interactions in the more "formal" class lessons with those in the individual face-to-face encounters between teacher and student. (Author/RK)

A warning about the alarming situation in which written Spanish finds itself, not only in the daily press but even in more literary publications. More and more popular expressions and corruptions are finding their way into the written language. Attention to this situation is recommended. (Text is in Spanish.) (AMH)

Despite a survey carried out on the teaching of Spanish language in British and Irish universities that showed one-third of the respondents considered the teaching of Spanish intonation unimportant, examples are presented to show that it is necessary in Spanish language instruction. (HP)

Comments on five basics about composition and composition teaching essential for all English teachers. (Author/RK)

This paper traces the history of changing attitudes toward American English. Two approaches to language policy have always been present, the conservative one, which considers British English the only acceptable standard, and the liberal, which favors American English. (CFM)

Students must be familiar with current abbreviations, especially their appropriateness at varying levels of language. This paper discusses their formation and use, and includes a list of the abbreviations, initials, and acronyms most common in contemporary French. (Text is in French.) (DB)

A program to increase and encourage literacy in Tanzania is described: traditional stories were related by tribal elders, tape recorded, translated into the national language, printed, and distributed to individuals just learning to read. Cultural relevance of the stories should promote interest in continued reading. (AV)

This essay notes that the book under review is primarily a popular translation of research in the area of vernacular black English (VBE) that presents a relatively non-technical discussion of the linguistic characteristics of VBE and their educational implications. (Author/AM)

The history of efforts to agree upon standard English usage is outlined here, with particular attention to the role of the National Council of Teachers of English. Controversy among teachers often meets the Council's attempts at reform. Efforts to balance policy between standard spoken usage and individual dialects are noted. (CHK)

Outlines the goals and content of the syllabus aimed at developing reading and listening comprehension in a beginners' course in German. Types of written and spoken texts; language register used; language structure patterns desired; lexis and vocabulary; and language function are discussed as they are included in the syllabus. (CHK)

How does the lack of articles in Russian influence the distinction between restrictive and nonrestrictive relative clauses? The problem is discussed in comparison with German. Russian disposes only of facultative, but nonambiguous instruments. Certain determiners allow a precise differentiation between two kinds of relative clauses. (Text is in…

Discusses oral language experiences designed to help young students develop their conversational skills and prescribes writing exercises to help students think logically and sequentially so they can write clear, concise, honest prose. (Author/RK)

French native speakers' reactions to phone calls in the United States indicate a difference in the norms of interaction between the two countries. This difference, in turn, is understood when one realizes that the phone call, constituting a speech event, is open to different cultural interpretations. (CHK)