Due to differences in the grammars of English and French, "pendant" and "depuis" are as difficult to master for English speakers as their equivalents "for" and "since" are for French speakers. To the former, three facts are crucial: (1) "depuis" corresponds to both "for" and "since," which creates ambiguities; (2) "depuis" applies to an…

Discusses difficulties of Persian speakers, including literacy problems in learning English because of differences in script, and offers suggestions for solving some of the problems in handwriting, spelling, form-filling, punctuation, and reading. (LB)

Three questions in the application of native-language sociolinguistic theories to second language contexts are addressed: (1) Is transfer always a psycholinguistic process of interlingual overgeneralization? (2) Does attention to speech underlie all style shifting? (3) Is H. Giles' Speech Accommodation Theory adequate to explain all purposeful…

A language typology based on common errors made in pronunciation of English by speakers of other languages is presented and discussed. The classification system was developed from the concept of interlanguage, the intermediate step between a language learner's native and target languages, and the notion that interference in learning a new language…

This guide is designed to help college-level teachers of English as a Second Language address the particular linguistic characteristics and instructional needs of native Chinese-speaking students. The first chapter profiles four Chinese students at the City College of New York, focusing on their basic literacy in Chinese, immigration issues,…