This paper summarizes and comments on recommendations of the Modern Foreign Languages Working Group concerning attainment targets, programs of study, and statements of attainment in Great Britain's National Curriculum. Strategies used in modern language instruction in Berkshire's special schools are described. (JDD)

Analysis of "tutor talk" occurring between native or proficient nonnative speakers of English and limited- or non-English-speaking elementary students found that, although tutors used little sentence-level simplification, they made extensive use of conversational and tutorial strategies similar to those used by native and nonnative adults. (59…

Observation of a maintenance bilingual (Spanish-English) program to determine its effects on majority language students found that fully English-proficient students enrolled in the program did achieve competency in Spanish and that their attitudes toward Spanish, second-language learning, and Mexican-American culture and community were strongly…

Emphasizes the importance of pronunciation in the teaching of Italian as a second language and discusses a course in phonetics and phonology taught at the University for Foreigners in Perugia, Italy. Common difficulties are highlighted, and lab exercises to overcome these difficulties are provided. (27 references) (CFM)

Examination of examples of "Nigerian English" in novels by two prominent Nigerian authors reveals such linguistic behavior as translating directly from Nigerian languages, stressing least effort and economy of expression, incorporating sociocultural logic and imperatives of the Nigerian environment, and displaying "hypercorrected…

Applies a functional perspective to examine aspects of lexical style in English-language Indian newspapers and to explore the dynamics of Indian nativization of English. Findings reveal that the sociocultural constraints of the native situation significantly affect lexicology, with variations influenced more by situations than by language…

This study is a continuation of an ethnographic study of a six-year-old Japanese child learning English as a Second Language. It is concluded that language transfer, overgeneralization, and simplification combined with natural development all worked together in the development of the subject's interlanguage, irrespective of the overwhelming input…

Investigated whether there were differences in retention of language when both visual and auditory stimuli were employed as opposed to just a visual stimulus. It was found that reading-only resulted in higher scores on tests taken immediately, whereas combined listening and reading resulted in higher tests when tests were delayed. (12 references)…

Development of a course in French for tourism and the hotel industry in Sweden is chronicled, focusing on the process of functional analysis used to determine appropriate language content. A general functional outline of touristic French and an outline of language functions specific to a restaurant situation are presented. (MSE)

The plausibility of including Legal Spanish (LS), especially for students who will pursue a career in law, in the undergraduate advanced-level Spanish curriculum is discussed. Topics covered include the rationale for LS majors and minors, background resources, pedagogical materials, an LS experimental course, and class meetings and required…

Study examined how second-language readers filter information from second-language texts through culture-specific background knowledge. Korean graduate students with advanced English read stories and answered questions. A think-aloud protocol assessing their understanding and inferences indicated an effect of culture-specific schemata and…

This paper provides an historical overview of the foreign language learning difficulties of students with learning disabilities; describes a language-based assessment model for diagnosing foreign language learning problems; and discusses the role of diagnosticians, counselors, and academic service providers in the identification, accommodation,…

The syllogistic reasoning performance of Puerto Rican children in grades three through five was assessed in English and Spanish. The difference in formal reasoning in favor of Spanish was attributed to the additional processing demands imposed on children when they solve problems in their second language. (34 references) (Author/LB)

A study of variations in the English and Portuguese phonology of native English speakers who emigrated to Brazil found that all subjects suffered a loss of English proficiency, with Portuguese proficiency adversely affecting the degree of English loss, particularly in casual as opposed to formal speech. (64 references) (CB)

Advanced adult nonnative speakers of English were taped in advising sessions to analyze two speech acts, suggestions, and rejections according to their frequency, form, and success. They were compared with native speakers. Results are explained by the availability of positive and negative feedback. (30 references) (Author/LB)