This paper discusses research conducted in the spring of 1991 that measured the relationship of reading subtest scores to teacher ratings of students' reading abilities. Sixty-eight advanced-level students in an intensive English program took an institutional version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and a specimen reading…

This paper assesses reading theory and its applications for methodology in second language reading. The investigation focuses on how the methodology recommended for teaching the commonly taught languages informs the teaching of a language such as Hindi. To accomplish this assessment, a teacher of Hindi at the U.S. State Department's Foreign…

A study explored the use of television by immigrant children in terms of language learning, investigating whether immigrant children watch television for purposes of language learning and whether they learn language through TV viewing. Unstructured interviews were conducted with eight Chinese immigrant children and seven of their mothers. The…

A study of communication anxiety in second language learning investigated: (1) the role of four factors (sex, language learning experience, language studied, and confidence) in student apprehension about speaking in the classroom; and (2) students' stated reactions to speaking. Subjects were 101 college students in 4 intact French, Spanish, and…

A study examined national data on the English language proficiency of Southeast Asian refugees at the time of their arrival (after 1975) in the United States and again in 1983. Information from an annual refugee survey was also used. Comparisons were made for: (1) different ethnic groups (Vietnamese, Chinese, Hmong, Khmer, Lao, and other) and…

A discussion of research on naturalistic second language acquisition (SLA) focuses on its relationship to the foreign language classroom context. It is argued that to attempt to relate natural SLA to classroom foreign language learning (FLL), a coherent and consistent theoretical framework is needed. The Cognitive-Interactionist Model is developed…

The Empowering Learners Project, a collaborative effort of five United Way agencies in the St. Paul (Minnesota) area, produced this manual to outline some strategies for assisting English-as-a-Second-Language learners in becoming effective learners and critical thinkers. Ideas in the manual came from project agencies and research in critical…

In today's global village, the choice of languages and cultures offered to the high school and college student in constantly increasing. Several reasons are offered for choosing the more traditional option of French/Francophone culture: internationalism, political contributions, intellectual achievements, France's role in Europe and in technology,…

A survey of 184 regular classroom teachers at a summer workshop at a state university in the Rocky Mountain Region investigated teacher knowledge and attitudes about linguistic diversity in the classroom. Data was gathered on the teachers' background, kind and amount of assistance provided to teachers with limited-English-proficient (LEP) students…

Questions about the appropriate approach to bilingual or multilingual education are discussed. It is noted that bilingualism was formerly reserved for the elite but that bilingual education should be available to all since it promotes a better understanding of world differences. A few examples (Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, Belgium, and…

Papers in this issue include the following: "Code-Mixing in Hongkong Cantonese-English Bilinguals: Constraints and Processes" (Brian Chan Hok-shing); "Information on Quantifiers and Argument Structure in English Learner's Dictionaries" (Thomas Hun-tak Lee); "Systematic Variability: In Search of a Linguistic…

This paper is concerned with factors affecting Chinese English-as-Second-Language (ESL) learner's acquisition in the Department of Foreign Languages at Tianjin Institute of Technology. These factors, which include language shock, culture differences, culture background knowledge, motivation, and ego permeability, create psychological distance…

This study evaluated a partial-immersion program in French in Victoria, Australia, an area in which little research has been conducted to date. The program has operated at an elementary school since 1991 and is the first English/French program of its kind in Victoria. French is the language of instruction for at least 40 percent of classes, with…

Research has demonstrated that second language learners benefit considerably from form-focused instruction within the context of a communicative language program. Thus, it is suggested that second language teachers should provide guided, form-based instruction in a meaningful context. Instructional strategies based on three dimensions of…

A researcher undertook a study of her own second language learning progress, focusing on development of pragmatic competence in Japanese and the relationship between language and social identity while living and working in Japan. The study addressed three areas: the formal instructional context of studying Japanese in Japan; the influence of the…