Provides pedagogical rules for selecting relative pronouns in Spanish. Sixteen different linguistic environments in which relative pronoun usage occurs are categorized according to their different syntactic relationships and semantic intentions. (SL)

This book is designed to provide a foundation for independent research in the phonetic study of speech. Eight sections address the following: (1) introductory ideas, semiotics, the relationship between phonetics and phonology, and the concepts of accent, dialect, and language; (2) the phonetic analysis of speech and the architecture of phonetic…

Designed as a resource for parents, this book provides them with the information and advice they need to make informed decisions about what language "policy" to adopt with their children. The authors, professional applied linguists, draw on their own experience as parents of successfully bilingual children and on interviews with other bilingual…

The Communication Committee of the South African National Council for the Deaf is currently developing an artificial sign language which could be used with all of the country's ethnolinguistic groups. Guidelines and constraints for developing such an artificial language are outlined. (CB)

Discusses the need to make sure that developments in methodology and materials are in tune with the perceived learning attitudes of the learners; otherwise, the effectiveness of the materials is likely to be greatly reduced. (EKN)

This article proposes two general instructional strategies that a course designer or materials writer may use to create a second language course that makes new demands on learners, yet contains feasible learning tasks. First, course designers can manipulate task components believed to determine task difficulty, components such as input text, the…

This paper discusses the development and content of a third-year Italian course entitled "Italian for Business and Communication," taught at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts. Since there are few texts that focus on business Italian, the instructor conducted on-site research at three Italian companies in Milan. Observations and…

An examination of measures currently used to assess degree of bilingualism in individuals looks at the problems inherent in them, ideal measures, and how to use available measures. It is suggested that definition of bilinguality is a central cause for measurement problems, since a bilingual is assumed to be the sum of two monolinguals, without…

This publication is intended for parents, teachers, and anyone in the wider community who has an interest in language, language acquisition, and second language learning; bilingual and multilingual education; bilingualism; language, culture, and society; language and power; and literacy. Extensive long-term research was conducted on a number of…

This paper argues that second language instruction that aims to foster speaking skills and natural spoken interaction should be based upon the grammar of the spoken language, and not on grammars that reflect written norms. Using evidence from a corpus of conversational English, this examination focuses on how four grammatical features that occur…

Issues in the design of research to describe educational practice are examined, and arguments for and against particular methodologies are summarized. A single study is used for illustrative purposes; it explores the relationship between English taught as a second language in school and English language needs in the workplace. The study uses both…

A profile of the state of English and English instruction in New Zealand covers the following topics: a description of the role and status of English language use in industry and commerce, government, and education; the role of English at all levels of the educational system; the availability and training of teachers of English, the type of…

A profile of the state of English and English instruction in Turkey covers the following topics: a description of the role and status of English language use in industry and commerce, government, and education; the role of English at all levels of the educational system; the availability, characteristics, and training of teachers of English; the…