Inasmuch as the fact that writing is a cognitively demanding task and as a step toward overcoming some of the barriers English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners face during writing performance, this study attempted to investigate Iranian EFL learners' perceptions toward the most common writing difficulties. To this end, 120 Iranian EFL learners…

This article discusses punctuation in Spanish, specifically rules for the use of the comma, the colon, and the semi-colon. The rules for the placement of prosodic and orthographic stress are also discussed. (Text is in Spanish.) (CLK)

The graphemic and functional distribution of Chinese punctuation markers are outlined, and the implications of Chinese punctuation practices for second language instruction are discussed. Three kinds of Chinese punctuation markers are described: those graphically unique to Chinese, those written and used in the same manner in both Chinese and…

Examines the use of computers for error detection in natural language texts. Focuses on a computer program designed to teach students to edit their papers for errors using pattern matching in error detection. Describes a "pedagogy for editing" and speculates on ways to improve computer detection of errors in natural language texts. (AEM)

Modern poetry can be used as instructional material in beginning foreign language courses to offer a change of pace from the regular instructional materials and an introduction to the literature in the target language. Students also take pride in understanding original literary products of the language being taught. Modern poetry proves to be more…

THE GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THESE UNITS ON SEGMENTAL AND SUPRASEGMENTAL PHONEMES, PREPARED BY NORTHERN UNIVERSITY'S PROJECT ENGLISH CENTER, IS TO HELP 11TH- AND 12TH-GRADERS TO DISCOVER, THROUGH AN UNDERSTANDING OF PHONOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES, THE SYSTEMS UNDERLYING THEIR OWN LANGUAGE. SPECIFIC LANGUAGE-SKILL OBJECTIVES ARE THE IMPROVEMENT OF (1)…

A study examined patterns of English usage in 52 Japanese university freshmen's written compositions, particularly in the use of the subordinating conjunction "because." It was found that students often fragmented sentences when "because" was involved, or used a comma to separate a trailing dependent "because" clause…

This grammar of Pashto was designed to accompany a set of beginning- and intermediate-level instructional materials for teaching the Pashto language to English speakers, but can be used separately as a reference by readers who are not learning the language. Introductory sections in English and Pashto describe the content and organization. The…

Papers from a 1993 conference on linguistics, all in French, include essays on the following: Yoruba morphophonology; literary Arabic morphophonology; grammatical cohesion in Burushaski; phonological and lexical variation in French Canadian dialects, including Acadian; insults in Madrid Spanish; discourse analysis; maintenance of meaning in…