This report examines the transferability of five indirectness strategies realized by the "conventions of usage" of Japanese indirect requests when Japanese learners of English realize English indirect requests in four situations. Subjects representing two proficiency groups--beginning/intermediate and highly advanced--were asked to undertake an…

(Text is in French.)

Definitions of communicative competence and research on developing communicative competence in a second language are reviewed and implications for teaching are discussed. Communicative competence refers not only to knowledge of the forms of a language but to their functions and appropriate use in context. Five areas of communicative competence are…

The criteria employed in most textbooks to differentiate "ser" and "estar" followed by an adjective are mainly semantic. Most exercises offer to second language learners too high a proportion of "estar" usages, a practice that leads to overgeneralization with regard to the use of "estar." An experiment was…

The role of grammar in foreign language study should be shaped by realistic expectations of what academic study of a second language can accomplish. The temptation to emphasize grammar instruction above all else is reinforced by the patness of grammar instruction, by the measurability of student proficiency in grammar, and by the teacher's own…

The so-called "threshold level," defined as minimum basic vocabulary, is analyzed. It is felt that the "Lexicon for Threshold-Level English" contains too many rare words and exemplary sentences that are empty of expression and sometimes unidiomatic. (Text is in German.) (IFS/MS)

Demonstrates the operation of the universal principles of lexical simplification, through an examination of its use in translation; second language learning and teaching, and simplified reading texts. (Author/AM)

This Spanish lesson consists of an essay on the use of "usted" and "tu," followed by a series of exercises including questions on the text, vocabulary, grammar and the use of the subjunctive. (Text is in Spanish.) (CHK)

A fictitious letter from "Johnny" to his former high school language teacher, describing his linguistic experiences in Europe and his feelings about the learning of languages. (DB)

Reports on a study of the use of English by students and graduates of German Hauptschulen ("terminal" junior high schools). Examines FL requirements for various occupations. Finds that good students make the most use of their English, but mostly in their personal lives. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Suggests presenting Russian verbs of motion as graphic concepts through application of numerous illustrations, as explained here. Distinctions between orbit and trajectory must be maintained. (CHK)

Reviews literature relating to conversational analysis, identifying two major approaches which exhibit chronological and methodological differentiations and focusing from a perspective of sequencing. (CB)

Discusses the pros and cons of grammatical consciousness raising in (English as a second language) pedagogy, arguing that meaningful research on the effectiveness of formal instruction must abandon notions of language learning as the accumulation of language entities and consider consciousness raising with regard to grammatical processes and the…

Surveys the development of language tests toward authenticity and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of indirect and direct (authentic) language tests. Discusses the difficulty of applying appropriate psychometric measures to tests using real-life language, and the large number of tests variables which interfere with the authenticity of…