Provides examples of humorous errors in written exams made by university students of French and Canadian culture. (AM)

A conference was held in Montreal in November 1975 which focused on research related to the immersion approach to second language teaching. Background information and purposes of the conference are given. (RM)

Dramatizes what can happen when educators teach literature for cross-cultural understanding, especially when the literature being taught is written by citizens of a country with which the students' country is at war. Describes the events of one class in the United States in 1990 on the eve of the first Gulf War, and it theorizes these vents in…

Provides a historical overview of the use of typographical cues, to expose the rationale behind the use of textual enhancement in second language (L2) classrooms and to offer avenues for further research on textual enhancement based on a review of the literature in the field. (Author/VWL)

A systematic analysis of the French interrogative focuses on the distinction between the syntactic processes (identification of question words, interrogative phrase preposing, and rules of question formation) and phonological processes (intonation patterns) that characterize questions in French. (Author/MSE)

The contributions of the originator of the Natural Approach to second-language learning are described. (Author/LB)

Language and literature departments are being asked to reflect more on the best way to maintain the intellectual integrity of their programs in view of departmental reforms imposed on them by budgetary restraints. Discusses the mediating role played by translation in this kind of situation. (Author/VWL)

This article focuses on the relationship between flow experiences and language learning. Flow Theory suggests that flow experiences (characterized by a balance between challenge and skills and by a person's interest, control, and focused attention during a task) can lead to optimal learning. This theory has not yet been tested in the area of…

This article explores definitions of reading comprehension, research on how reading comprehension is assessed, and issues in assessing the reading comprehension of English language learners (ELLs). By way of illustration, I present aspects of the literacy practices of an intermediate-grade ELL in a suburban school of the Lower Mainland of British…

Essay tests are widely used to assess ESL/EFL learners' writing abilities for instructional, administrative, and research purposes. Relevant literature was searched to identify 70 empirical studies on ESL/EFL essay tests. The majority of these studies examined task, essay, and rater effects on essay rating and scores. Less attention has been given…

Assessment for learning (AfL) is a relatively new concept in ESL/EFL writing. In AfL, learning is a goal in its own right, and assessment is the means to achieving the goal. Despite an emphasis on assessment the concept AfL appears to suggest, in implementing AfL teachers need to integrate teaching, learning and assessment rather than focus…

This article examines why students participated in British Columbia's first intensive French (IF) program between 2004 and 2008 and what they achieved as a result, with a particular focus on the effect on the French and English language proficiency of English as additional language (EAL) students. Qualitative case studies found that students and…

Discusses the principles of behavioral objectives and strategies for achieving them. (Text is in French.) (RM)

Discusses the use of pictures in the language classroom and presents controlled and non-controlled activities incorporating pictures. (AM)

Describes various language courses organized by the Commission of European Communities as part of their personnel training program. (Text is in French.) (AM)