Discusses the strategies that the former Soviet states are evolving to balance the interests of dominant ethnic groups with those of linguistic minorities while constructing a national identity, highlighting language policy in action and focusing on acculturation processes and geographic mobility among groups. A case study of Estonia is also…

Studies on second-language acquisition of reflexives have experienced difficulties assessing learners' knowledge of the binding principles because of problems associated with ambiguous sentences where there is more than one antecedent for a reflexive. In this study, English-as-a-Second-Language students were tested using a variety of sentence…

Chronicles attitudes toward the spread of English usage in Italy during the twentieth century, focusing on the Americanization of Italian society. Finds two radically different reactions to the penetration of American culture: hostility and xenophobia during the first half of the century, and accommodation and acceptance after World War II. Also…

Second language learners of English responded to a questionnaire requiring them to identify the antecedent of a reflexive pronoun. Responses were compared to those of a native speaker control group, and first language transfer and recapitulation of first language acquisition were examined. (24 references) (Author/OD)

A study used compressed speech to observe aural processing strategy differences between native English-speakers and high- and medium-level learners of English as a second language. Quantitative and qualitative differences in recall among the three groups were found. (Author/MSE)

Reports on studies focusing on individual attrition of English as a Second Language in an environment where Hebrew is the dominant language. Age, sociolinguistic features, input variables, and linguistic variables are discussed as well as major trends of change in language use that identify a limited reversal of the acquisition process. 29…

Reviews a 1994 U.S. General Accounting Office study entitled "Limited-English Proficiency: A Growing and Costly Educational Challenge Facing Many School Districts." The article argues that the report is biased in favor of full bilingual instruction over other methods of teaching English to limited English proficient students. (Contains…

Presents various viewpoints on dual language acquisition by children. These include native language foundation, first-language monolinguals' vocabulary development, second-language learning, simultaneous acquisition strategies, television as a source of language learning, functions of language in discourse, analysis of conversation, syntax and…

Identifies the ideas influencing the rise of autonomy and self-direction in educational milieus. Also discussed are the background of minority rights movements, shifts in educational philosophy, reactions against behaviorism, and wider access to education. Research into learning strategies has contributed directly to these changes. (73 references)…

Presents a continuation of previous research on a general development process consisting of successive levels in conceptualization. Explores how young children conceptualize the writing system. Considers both social background and preschool system of education. Concludes that teaching activities used in French nursery schools are less effective…

Reports on a study comparing the effects of two types of instructional language on students' attitudes and conceptual understanding of recorded orchestral music. Finds that students who were taught using a combination of analytic and figurative language scored significantly higher than those that were taught using only analytic language. (CFR)

Maternal infant-directed speech in Mandarin Chinese and Turkish (two mother-child dyads each) was examined to see if cues exist in input that might assist infants' assignments of words to lexical and functional item categories. Results show that sets of distributional, phonological, and acoustic cues distinguishing lexical and functional items are…

This study used qualitative methods, including observation, unstructured interviews, and questionnaires, for analyzing the vocational English-language-instruction needs of hotel maids. Methods and sources (maids, supervisor, executive housekeeper, human resources staff) were triangulated to determine reliability. An unbalanced distribution of…

This study examined development of three types of vocabulary knowledge (passive, controlled active, and free active) over one year of second-language instruction and the relationship of the three types at different stages of vocabulary learning. Subjects were 48 Israeli high school students of English as a Second Language. Results raise questions…

A study investigated communication patterns in written English and the prevalent corporate culture, the relationship between a British corporate office and its subsidiary in the Netherlands. Survey respondents were senior-level employees at 107 companies. Results indicate corporate culture plays an important role in the level of English skills…