Discusses the first-year English program at Simon Bolivar University in Venezuela. The program is composed of three courses designed by language department professors to meet the needs of students who will major in different areas of science and technology.(Author/VWL)

Focuses on determining which semantic classes were being easily learned and which were causing difficulty for pupils in Brunei Darussalam's bilingual-education system. Also sought to determine, through analysis of pupil translation errors, which factors made a particular word or class of words difficult to learn. (Author/VWL)

Describes a study of English writing by Norwegian English-as-a-foreign-language learners. Language problems on different linguistic levels are analyzed and the theory of compensatory strategies is used to explain the process behind the production. Results show that less proficient learners have a higher number of grammatical, orthographic, and…

Reports on an investigation of learning-strategy applications in elementary French, Japanese, and Spanish immersion classrooms. Focus is on identifying strategies that more and less effective learners use for classroom reading and writing tasks in the target language. Think-aloud data from 3rd-grade and 4th-grade students were quantified and…

Explains the use of a computer-assisted language-learning tool that utilizes acoustic data in real time to help Japanese second-language learners improve their perception and production of English consonants. The basic features of the speech-learning software that runs on a networked workstation and is used for pronunciation training are…

This study of college freshmen learning a second language compared two instructional strategies using cooperative learning and interactive video instruction, and measured the effect of these strategies on achievement and attitudes. Recommends further research to determine how to group mature learners and how to use two-person workstations in…

A qualitative study examined instruction provided by four monolingual English-speaking teachers to English-language learners in grades 4 through 6. Focused on unresolved tension between teachers' sense that they should provide opportunities for students to express ideas and their desire for fast-paced lessons and correct usage. Explored teachers'…

Analyzes how differences in the beliefs or metacognitive knowledge held about writing relates to differences in English as a foreign language (EFL) writing skills. Data were collected from undergraduate students enrolled in EFL classes in Barcelona, Spain. (Author/VWL)

Discusses how English-as-a-Foreign-Language instruction in China is carried out through the grammar translation method. Suggests that this method is insufficient and that language education reform is needed that focuses on teacher training, testing reform, methodology, curriculum design, and instructional materials.(Author/VWL)

Reports results of an investigation into how educational computer games can benefit resource-advantaged (RA) and resource-deprived (RD) learners in English second-language teaching at Grade 6 in the primary school in South Africa. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the need for preparing overseas students for technology courses in Australian Universities and TAFE institutions, and the request of one school for a program design. The short bridging program designed in response to the request is described, including objectives, skills acquired, course content, teachers, and classes. The success of the…

University English-as-a-Foreign-Language students in Hong Kong who participated in popular literature class that emphasized reading for content and enjoyment made superior gains on measures of vocabulary and reading rate compared to students enrolled in a traditional academic skills class. Eighty-eight percent of the literature students felt that…

Describes several sources of errors made by students of Italian and some of the problem-solving behaviors in drill-and-practice exercises on direct and indirect object pronouns and the present perfect tense. The article identifies an unexpected source of error and a problem-solving behavior not found in the traditional learning environment and…

Describes a methodology for teacher training seminars designed to reconsider and define the validity of the design of computer-assisted language learning exercises that are developed by teachers and aimed at solving specific problems experienced by their students. A three-stage system of evaluation to collect empirical data on the method's…

A response to a paper on Translation Quality Assessment and the training of translators looks at parallel developments in second/foreign language learning/teaching, particularly in error analysis, error evaluation, and language authenticity. Argues criteria used to assess quality of translations in a professional context, for which functionalism…