The exploration of factors affecting English-speaking skills remains a cornerstone in English language teaching research. However, a notable gap exists concerning the nuanced understanding of the affecting factors, especially within undergraduate contexts through the lens of Stephen Krashen's Second Language Acquisition Theory. This study explored…

This Advice provides important information on the national context and describes best practice to support senior leaders, practitioners, and education authorities in evaluating and planning for improvement in Gaelic Education. It is based on evidence from inspections, reviews and validated self-evaluation, covering all sectors of Gaelic Education…

Providing foundational academic support to Indiana's culturally and linguistically diverse students is a cornerstone of the state's educational goals. Over 140,000 Indiana students speak a language other than English at home, and there are over 295 different languages represented in Indiana schools. Of these, over 93,000 students have been…

Student attitudes toward the study of literature in a foreign language were examined, based on a survey of introduction to literature courses in French and Spanish. Most students revealed positive attitudes. A review of previous research and the survey instrument are included. (38 references) (LB)

The group discussion test has gained prominence as a measure of oral interaction skills in second-language learning. This article reviews test types and administration, the communicative nature of the test, development of criteria and rating scales, and advantages. A sample rating scale is appended. (Contains 15 references.) (LB)

Describes an experiment designed to determine which language errors interfere to the greatest degree with comprehension by native speakers of the language. For this purpose, an instructor prepared a list of most serious Spanish language errors which was submitted to native speakers for evaluation in terms of comprehension and acceptability. (MES)

Ten Japanese subjects in Arizona participated in a study that confirmed that Japanese-specific rhetoric is transferred in a native Japanese English-as-a-Second-Language student's composition, and examined the extent to which the transferred rhetorical organization is discordant with native English readers' expectations. (26 references) (LB)

In view of frustration and dissatisfaction expressed by British language teachers, this book takes a critical look at the present "A" level language examinations and makes a radical reappraisal of the needs of students learning German for "A" level and other examinations. It suggests a fundamental change of emphasis from…

Describes two instruments for eliciting student beliefs about language learning and teaching--the Foreign Language Survey (FLAS) and the Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI). Representative responses of prospective teachers are discussed to demonstrate the usefulness of this information for the foreign language methods class. (SED)

In a study of learners' levels of comfort with language activity types allowing differing degrees of interaction, 110 first-year college students of French, Spanish, and Italian were surveyed at a university and community college. Results suggest the value of activities facilitative of negotiated interaction. The questionnaire is appended. (10…

Nonnative university students have difficulty coping with lectures given in English and need authentic and relevant material in listening and note-taking courses. One approach based on a transcription of a paleontology lecture is presented, suggested by linguistic analysis of 40 science lectures at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. (four…

A study surveyed 207 students of English as a Second Language, aged 11-57 and at all levels, in a Brazilian English institute to derive a student profile for curriculum development. Subjects were questioned concerning: motivation for starting and continuing English language study; perceptions of the language lessons in terms of activity types,…

Current newspaper articles are used in the form of a weekly short quiz in advanced English reading classes at Nara University of Education. The quiz focuses on the articles' immediacy as a motivating factor for Japanese students who have lost some motivation after passing the university entrance examinations. (Contains seven references.) (LB)

The application of language processing skills between 2 languages with dissimilar morphosyntactic features was investigated with 72 American university students learning Japanese. Results suggest that learners' first- and second-language knowledge both play a significant role and that the linguistic knowledge and coding capability for text…

The modified American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Educational Testing Service (ACTFL/ETS) oral proficiency scale was developed in response to a request from the New Brunswick (Canada) Department of Education for assistance in comparing the results of its French immersion and core programs. Because the existing ACTFL/ETS academic…