Attempts to clarify the role of grammar in second-language instruction. It is suggested that changes in language teaching have encouraged the view that grammar is one of several dimensions along which learners need to progress to achieve greater proficiency but that it should not be dominant. (22 references) (CK)

Examines language research conducted at Napier. The objective of this research program was to improve the teaching of scientific and technical French that had been identified as a requirement for the specialist groups of scientists, doctors, and engineers interested in the use of French language in their work. (CK)

Argues that the reason computer-based foreign language (FL) materials lack key elements of proficiency-oriented teaching is because FL professionals were excluded from their development. These professionals continue to be excluded because they lack the necessary computer skills; however, computer-oriented training workshops can equip FL…

Reports a study that investigated ethnocentrism in foreign language education. The study utilized a quasiexperimental intact group design where nine sections of first-semester German students were randomly assigned to one of three groups: one that stressed German and American cultural similarities, one that stressed German and American…

The question of the sequencing of skills is an important issue in language policy and curriculum design in general, and even more so in the case of a diglossic language such as Arabic. This paper tries to investigate the implications of diglossia on the order of linguistic skills acquisition in Arabic among Hebrew speakers in Israel. (JL)

Some 76 hearing children in prekindergarten classes, half receiving sign instruction and half not, were tested on English vocabulary acquisition. Children who received the sign instruction scored significantly higher on the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test than children receiving sign instruction. (Contains 15 references.) (Author/LB)

Presents the results of a two-year study on the integration of Internet resources as a primary instructional tool in the teaching of Italian-language classes at the University of Utah. All students studying Italian belonged to a virtual community of Italian speakers who communicated daily on various channels and mailing lists. (Author/JL)

Presents some suggestions for the writing of poetry to expand vocabulary in the target language. Since poetry demands preciseness, writing poetically helps students develop this language skill. (Author/CK)

Examines the development of a pilot questionnaire used for a series of investigations into aspects of language learning in further and higher education. The questionnaire was administered to over 3,000 learners of French, Spanish, German, English, and Russian attending 12 British universities and 6 schools/colleges of further education. (16…

Presents case studies of three high-achieving learners who demonstrated a variety of motivations and strategy uses according to their individual differences. The primary focus of the study is on the strategies employed by learners during their school days in their native Germany. The three studies demonstrate a wide range of strategy uses and…

Discusses students' cultural reasons for studying a particular language, the use of sociolinguistic studies as a cultural backdrop to language studies in order to view language as a living cultural asset, and the use of the cultural area of language studies as one of the best media to challenge prejudice. (11 references) (CK)

Explores a caveat for teaching language-minority students: As an educational community, teachers, teacher educators, and educational researchers need to be careful that they do not simply add to familiar patterns of instruction but rather actively seek ways to recast the cultures of schools and the social systems of classrooms to meet the needs of…

Several ways to extend the notion of second-language (L2) learning motivation are discussed. The motivational materials and techniques considered are well known in the fields of general, industrial, educational, and cognitive developmental psychology but have not been applied to the L2 field. (Contains 98 references.) (LB)

In a study of language anxiety, a video camera was introduced at various points in a vocabulary learning task. Observations of first-year university students of French revealed significant increases in anxiety when the camera was introduced, along with concomitant deficits in vocabulary acquisition. Implications for remedial action are discussed.…

Writing groups, used in many English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) composition classrooms, pose problems for some students from collectivistic cultures such as Japan and China. Suggested reasons are the individual benefit goal, the need for feedback rather than group harmony, and strained group dynamics. (Contains 41 references.) (Author/LB)