Purpose: Investigate training-related changes in acoustic-phonetic representation of consonants produced by a text-to-speech (TTS) computer speech synthesizer. Method: Forty-eight adult listeners were trained to better recognize words produced by a TTS system. Nine additional untrained participants served as controls. Before and after training,…

This study examined whether differences in phonological awareness were related to differences in speech comprehensibility. Seventeen adults who learned English as a foreign language (EFL) in academic settings completed 14 tests of phonological awareness that measured their explicit knowledge of English phonological structures, and three tests of…

A total of 2,611 calls to 14 helplines were monitored to observe helper behaviors and caller characteristics and changes during the calls. The relationship between intervention characteristics and call outcomes are reported for 1,431 crisis calls. Empathy and respect, as well as factor-analytically derived scales of supportive approach and good…

The study investigates strategies and contexts for supporting the literacy development of young, augmented speakers, whose difficulties in literacy learning are not explained by their levels of cognition alone. Indeed, quantitative and qualitative differences exist in their literacy experiences at home and school. In this study, four primary…

Interpreting, or oral translation, can be used in undergraduate second language study as a technique for developing oral skills. The technique can produce both sound linguistic judgment and confident oral and written performance that last beyond testing. It integrates four essential elements of oral/aural skills: comprehension, phonology/fluency,…

This dual cassette program, accompanied by a script book, is designed to give students listening practice in Spanish, particularly for regional differences of pronunciation and for variety in idiomatic construction. The program may be integrated with texts used in intermediate and advanced levels of instruction. The announcements, jingles, and…

This dual cassette package, accompanied by a script book, is designed to give students listening practice in French, particularly for regional differences of pronunciation and for variety in idiomatic constructions. The program may be integrated with texts used in intermediate and advanced levels of instruction. The announcements, jingles, and…

The interactive processes of university engineering lectures are analyzed from five points of view. Although the research is applicable to the study of lecturing in general, it is intended to have specific application to programs for students for whom English is a second language. A discourse analysis is based on models by Sinclair/Coulthard and…

A description is presented of forty classroom-tested activities for motivating students to practice listening comprehension and speaking skills in any foreign language. Some of the activities include practical suggestions and follow-up activities. All the activities are preceded by a statement of purpose, categorized by proficiency levels…

Background: There is a need to provide students with a repertoire of strategies to enable them to know what to use when and for what learning task. What they need to do is acquisition and use of the most important of skills; learning how to learn skills. Purpose: The present study aimed at investigating the effects of a suggested training program…

Papers from the 1998 international conference on the teaching of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) include: "The Future of English: Where Unity and Diversity Meet" (David Crystal); "Maximizing Student Writing and Minimizing Teacher Correction" (Phil Quirke); "How the Camel Got Its Hump: Bringing Literature…

Examines graduate and undergraduate music majors' ability to detect pitch and rhythm errors in various settings of textually contrasting musical excerpts. Students listened to intentionally marred excerpts and attempted to identify the errors. Analysis of variance revealed that the predictor variables did not function independently of each other.…

The present study investigated the factor structure of a field trial sample of the Test of English as a Foreign Language™ Internet-based test (TOEFL® iBT). An item-level confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted for a polychoric correlation matrix of items on a test form completed by 2,720 participants in the 2003-2004 TOEFL iBT Field…

This paper concerns the divisibility of comprehension subskills measured in L2 listening and reading tests. Motivated by the administration of the new Web-based English as a Second Language Placement Exam (WB-ESLPE) at UCLA, this study addresses the following research questions: first, to what extent do the WB-ESLPE listening and reading items…

This paper addresses how German-language teachers in the United States can use broadcasts of the German language television, "Deutsche Welle," in their classrooms. Emphasis is placed on the knowledge gained about Germany and the opportunity to not only hear, but also see, German as it is really spoken in everyday life. Care must taken to…