Discusses two principles of the experiential learning approach as it pertains to English-as-a-second-language instruction in Canada: (1) learning is an emotional experience that entails personal investment; and (2) to learn is to change. (Author/CB)

Finds that college freshmen's opinions on vocabulary acquisition agree with the results of recent research, which states that free reading is the most efficient and effective means of acquiring vocabulary in a first language. Results contrast with a study of university foreign language students, most of whom did not value reading as a means of…

A study investigating correlations between parents' and students' attitudes toward Hebrew and students' achievement in learning it as a second language found low and insignificant correlations between parents' and students' attitudes but high correlation between students' attitudes and achievement. (Author/CB)

Describes three models of CALL (computer assisted language learning) activity--games, the expert system, and the prosthetic approaches. A case is made for CALL development within a more instrumental view of the role of computers. (Author/CB)

Presents a strategy for using an expanded version of Total Physical Response (TPR) as one tool for teaching listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish. Variations of TPR are suggested for the purpose of implementing the technique within the foreign language curriculum. (Author/CB)

Language Lotto is a game to sensitize second language students to a variety of conversational strategies and to what is implicit in spoken discourse. (MSE)

Describes interactive video, compares disc- and tape-based systems, and summarizes the considerations that led to the development of the "Autotutor," an interactive video system for language learners. The process of creating interactive video learning materials is explained and its advantages to the learner are discussed. (SED)

Argues that a framework is needed for computer-assisted language learning (CALL) which would provide criteria for decisions about priorities and emphases. A comparison of two different types of CALL programs is made for the insights they may offer into developmental principles. (SED)

Presents a case study of a bilingual two-year-old, documenting his translation skills between the age of 1 year, 11 months and 2 years, 5 months. Argues that critical insights into child language may be gained through the examination of a child's linguistic abilities in cognitively demanding situations. (SED)

Describes research done to determine whether there is a statistical relationship between an English as a second language learner's ability to determine a word's morphemes or structural units and his/her ability to comprehend written English text. (SED)

Presents the theory of general language proficiency and looks at the construct validation of cloze tests and C-tests. Describes the defects of classical cloze procedures. Gives an example of the C-Test and discusses its empirical validity. Concludes that C-tests are authentic tests of the construct of general language proficiency.

Analyzes a group of children who had been matched for English proficiency and socioeconomic status at the beginning of a school year but who differed in their school achievement at the end of that year. Considers competence in morphology, syntax, and vocabulary; verbosity; patterns of social interaction; first language performance; and personality…

Describes a study which examined the relationship between age and achievement of adults in an instructional setting. Older (25 to 41) and younger (17 to 24) French-speaking students were compared with respect to short-term development in aural comprehension. Results suggest that achievement rate decreases with increasing age. (SED)

An environmental awareness language exchange occurred between English and French pupils in 1983. Teacher planning and student activities are described for the 10-day exchange; they include a pupil/teacher discovery walk, student discussion, and student study of chosen themes. Guidance and encouragement help students become more aware of…

Describes a study of those areas that experience suggests are major sources of error for native English-speakers studying German. Students' writing samples of different proficiency levels were analysed to establish (1) changes in error rate per student over the three semesters and (2) degree of negative transfer for each group. (SED)