This paper summarizes the 1986 findings of Kyoko Oi on the distinctive features of differences in discourse pattern between English and Japanese, using results from the argumentative English as a Second Language (ESL) writing of 87 Japanese students in Japan. Specifically, the study aims to examine whether the inner-argumentative analysis will…

Testing English listening skills involves a variety of skills. Sounds are sometimes difficult to discriminate in a language that is not one's native tongue, so testing phoneme discrimination, the ability to tell the difference between sounds, is important. Picture choice items are a good way to select among alternatives to demonstrate…

A discussion of the biological and developmental issues in early second language learning first looks at psycholinguistic research on brain growth patterns and the relationship of first and second language learning. Focus is on three phenomena observed in the self-organization of living systems: selection of input data; organization of specialized…

This paper addresses the issue of whether second language (L2) learners can reset parameters, by testing English speakers learning Spanish on their ability to reset the subjacency and bounding node parameters. The bounding nodes are IP and NP in English and CP and NP in Spanish. Eight American graduate students, highly proficient in the Spanish…

A study examined the production of English apology strategies by Spanish speakers learning English, by analyzing the remedial move in native and non-native social interactions. To restore harmony when an offensive act has been committed, remedial exchanges are performed according to the rules of speaking and the social norms of the speech…

A 1991 study investigated the extent to which living in the United States and communicating daily in English provided students of English as a Second Language (ESL) with skills in interpreting implicature. Subjects were 30 students tested in a 1986 study of ESL implicature who were retested with a battery of four tests: structure; cloze;…

A study investigated the use of verb tense by learners of English as a Second Language (ESL) from the perspective of narrative structure. Subjects were 16 adult intermediate-level ESL learners of varied linguistic backgrounds and 24 native speakers of English. All attended an oral telling of a Hawaiian trickster tale, with a brief introduction,…

The literature review examines research and theory concerning the critical aspects of classroom culture for promoting literacy development, particularly for learners of English as a second language. It begins by establishing a conceptual framework for discussing classroom culture, then focuses on literature on six critical classroom attributes:…

This paper reports results of a research study linked to the effort of preparing teachers involved in literacy programs for a large adult population of non-native speakers of English in the state of Texas. Because of a state-initiated plan in Texas, the "Indicators of Program Quality for Adult Education and Literacy," extensive…

This book provides information to preschool teachers and administrators in developing effective programs for young linguistic backgrounds of second-language-learning children, the children. Information about the importance of the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of second-language learning children, the course that second-language learning is…

The use of computers in the foreign language classroom in the Czech Republic is viewed with suspicion. Many teachers assert that computers prevent engagement in communication and teamwork, and that a computer could never replace a good teacher. This paper argues that from within a cognitive framework of language acquisition computers do indeed…

The case study of a Ukrainian university student in the United States investigated factors in the student's adjustment to the United States and acquisition of English as a second language. The student, aged 20, came to the United States to study music after being denied admission to a Russian conservatory because of his ethnic background, and had…

A discussion of the role of reading in second language learning redefines reading and links it, within language learning, to a revised concept of motivation. To fulfill a more useful function in language teaching, reading should be considered a truly creative rather than basically receptive process. The three elements in the complex process of…

This quarterly annotated bibliography lists periodicals, scholarly journals, and institutions that may be of interest to modern language teachers, and provides bibliographic information for modern language reference, research, and teaching materials. In each issue, an introductory section provides background information on sources and details the…

A discussion of second language learning strategies (LLS) first reviews research on defining, classifying, and listing LLS, then looks at studies on factors affecting learners' LLS choices, and finally examines their application in second language teaching. A definition of LLS as "specific action taken by the learner to make learning easier,…