This book applies a psycholinguistic perspective to instructed second language acquisition, seeking to bridge the gap between second language acquisition research and language teaching practices. It challenges the traditional divide between conscious and unconscious processes, or explicit and implicit learning, and re-envisions this as a continuum…

Analyses 476 food advertisements in newspapers from 3 different sized cities. Finds that brand names, food names, and descriptive vocabulary comprise the majority of language in food ads across newspaper groups. Offers suggestions for using newspaper ads in the classroom. (RS)

This pamphlet is the ninth in a series of ten stemming from the view that language is central to learning, that teachers can gain insights into their work and into learning by examining the language of the classroom, and that current language theory can be the means to such insights. The pamphlet describes a project that was undertaken to discover…

Describes five types of language research projects that enable students to examine language for themselves. (DD)

Problems encountered in attempting to teach the Spanish verb system can be traced to misconceptions arising from the inadequate or misleading names of many of the tenses. The nature of descriptive terminology is the level at which the problem of nomenclature is treated in this study. (SL)

Using as examples two skills (semanticizing vocabulary and building first-phase exercises), presents a procedure for the practical training of foreign language teachers, based on the findings of empirical research. Describes five "observer's forms" and their use. Discusses the possibility of combining this form of skill training with systematic…

Evaluates the use of oral translation as a second-language teaching activity. Shows that, with a proper regard for the principles of translation theory, translation can play a valuable role in second-language teaching and that translation should be an integral part of the language learning program. (HB)

Discusses various experiments involving the teaching of vocabulary through the use of mnemonics, and describes an experiment which sought to test the effectiveness of the mnemonic method in acquiring writing skills in the foreign vocabulary. (AM)

Dialogue journals are discussed as a valuable component in developing writing and reading competence in both first and second language classes. A simple way for students to carry on a private written conversation with their teachers, journals may be written in daily or weekly for the entire year or course. Both student and teacher agree to write…

Students learn, understand, and retain knowledge best when they discover it themselves. In the area of semantics, the study of how meaning is conveyed through language, explicit knowledge may appear to be obvious once it becomes conscious, but unless people are explicitly aware of their implicit knowledge and assumptions, they may be at their…

Some views on and implications of "the output hypothesis," which proposes that the process of producing written or spoken language results in language acquisition/learning, for immersion pedagogy and second-language learning are discussed. The role of collaborative learning is considered. (Contains 14 references.) (LB)

In an integration of listening research with other areas of language arts, this monograph presents a framework for understanding listening skills and outlines classroom activities that are based on scientific data. Stressing the priority and value of listening instruction, the introduction discusses the need for more attention to listening and…

Considers how the cultivation of patterns of spoken English can help basic writers become more aware of the structures of written English. Provides background information needed for discussing with students the similar characteristics of oral and written language. (HB)

Describes an informal study that yielded information about differences between good and poor sixth-grade spellers in their awareness that spelling involves prediction strategies and in their awareness of letter frequencies, pattern frequencies, and positional constraints on spelling. Outlines a few implications for spelling instruction. (GT)

This paper presents empirical results from an analysis of English and German conversational fillers produced by bilinguals. They reveal that even accomplished bilinguals do not display an overall native-like realization of conversational fillers in their second language (L2). Along with the findings of L2 studies showing that the comprehension and…