Examines second-language classroom applications of computerized text analysis by English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) writers, suggesting that the Grammatik III disk-based text analyzer may not be a suitable addition to ESL composition pedagogy. (16 references) (Author/CB)

Describes the research literature on diglossia, presents the practicality of Formal Spoken Arabic (FSA) from the training point of view, and gives a brief overview of features of FSA as taught at the Foreign Service Institute that have popularized it for teaching spoken proficiency skills to students of Arabic as a foreign language. (30…

Presents syllabus and discusses methodology for a course on British Industrial Relations for economics majors at the University of Bergamo taught in English. Course was successful in extending the subject matter in the second language (L2), and it allowed participants to learn more of the language, practicing it in an environment other than the…

Analysis of the phonological influence of English on Yoruba found such influences as violation of phonotactic constraints, assimilation of English sounds with those of Yoruba sounds, irregular phoneme correspondences, and resistance to new syllable types. (19 references) (Author/CB)

A Polish study of foreign language (FL) interactional discourse concludes that strategic competence, consisting of the use of communication strategies in interactional discourse, plays a relatively unimportant role in the performance of low proficiency FL learners who are not used to taking part in interaction. (27 references) (LB)

Four language classroom activities are described, including a food game, a culture and language activity based on a Paris Metro ticket, an exercise in the use of definite and indefinite articles using a film poster, and a classroom adaptation of a fairy tale for dramatic oral presentation. (MSE)

A novel approach is examined for using developmental sequence data for deciding between Universal Grammar-based and problem solving models of adult nonnative grammatical development. Results support the Universal Grammar-based model of nonnative language acquisition. (19 references) (Author/LB)

A professionally oriented language course at the University of New South Wales (Australia) is described that is designed for students who have studied German in high school and wish to continue studying it to enhance their employment prospects. Both linguistic proficiency and German business culture are emphasized. (LB)

Two beginning learners of English were followed over a two-year period. In the early stages of acquisition, both developed a common learner variety determined by minimal requirements of the required tasks. One learner developed further morphosyntactic means to achieve greater cohesion in discourse but the other did not. Implications are discussed.…

The question explored is whether native speakers'"simplified" or modified utterances, as in foreigner-talk (FT), actually facilitate comprehension for nonnative speakers hearing such utterances. It is concluded that linguistically more complex input will not necessarily impede comprehension. (49 references) (Author/LB)

The 15-year history of research and application in cooperative learning in primary and middle schools in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel is described. A specific application is discussed of some cooperative learning structures in a postsecondary foreign language classroom. (12 references) (Author/LB)

Reports on an alternative approach to the face-to-face interview for eliciting speech samples to evaluate second-language proficiency, discussing the reliability and validity of the Indonesian Speaking Test, an example of the tape-mediated simulated oral proficiency interview method. (18 references)(CB)

Promotes student-as-teacher strategies in general, while extending their definition to include the peer teaching arrangement usually referred to as "group study." Cloze passages and rehearsed dictee are examined as well as the theoretical suggestion that these exercises are especially apt to encourage a variety of learning styles. (six references)…

Investigated ways in which different writing tasks influence quality and quantity of foreign language composition, as well as writing strategies used by American college students when composing in Japanese as a foreign language. Study proposed to compare qualitative and quantitative differences between descriptive and narrative writing tasks; to…

This paper reviews the research on speech perception and reassesses the contribution of innate capacities versus external stimulation in conjunction with age in first- and second-language acquisition. A developmental model of speech perception is then discussed in relation to neonatal auditory perception. (Contains 86 references.) (MDM)