This study examined why preschool, kindergarten, and 4th grade students had poor comprehension of a second language. The reasons for this were threefold: learning a second language is not essential to a child's life at these ages; they are not motivated to learn a second language on their own; and it was widely thought that learning a second…

This paper asserts that helping students to clarify and commit to realizable learning goals increases learner motivation and retention. It is recommended that any adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teacher should do some sort of "goals work" with their students and that program-wide strategies to address learner motivation and retention be…

The idea of content-based instruction (CBI) is at odds with the curricula of most English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teacher preparation programs. Nor does it fit easily with the skill-based texts and learning packages that are used widely in the field. There is also little agreement about the methods to be used to effect it at various levels of…

This resource guide will help rural school districts with a low incidence of English language learners (ELLs) develop the capacity to build and implement a comprehensive program that meets both the academic and language proficiency needs of ELLs. Under Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, ELLs must show increased academic achievement…

Earlier version of a paper read at the Annual Meeting of the Modern Language Association of America, December 28-31, 1969, in Denver, Colorado. (DS)

Identifies characteristics of an effective language teacher (ELT) as perceived by both language teachers and students in the Israeli educational system. Various characteristics of an ELT were identified, such as the teacher's command of the target language; his or her ability to organize, explain, and clarify; and his or her ability to arouse and…

A model of information processing is used in conjunction with two verbal protocol elicitation formats--the think aloud model and the retrospective questionnaire--to shed light on the mental processes involved in a learner's performance on the cloze. Results suggest the cloze is more suitable for learners of higher language ability, because it is…

Reports on a study in which students expressed their opinions about the software Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) they used in the multimedia laboratory. The sample was made up of 59 undergraduates who completed a questionnaire. Results showed that students clearly see software programs as a complementary tool in the foreign language…

Examines second language students' perceptions of grammar instruction, with specific reference to writing skill. Discusses issues involved in defining a role for grammar study and presents excerpts from student essays and explanations of classroom lessons. Results indicate that the instruction provided helped to improve students' ability to use…

Describes the results of a questionnaire that reveals Japanese students' attitudes towards reading in English versus reading in Japanese. Points out how students may have distorted views about English and English texts, because of their limited exposure to literary texts. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the importance of validating research data from questionnaires, exploring the difficulties presented in an attempt to validate questionnaire data regarding students' attitudes toward learning English in Japan. (Author/CB)

Examines Singapore students use of extracurricular language lessons. Primary school students take these lessons primarily to obtain high grades, whereas secondary students take such lessons so they can survive in the education system. Students home language and socio-economic situation are key factors in determining whether the student attends…

Describes a survey designed to elicit student's views of what language teaching should be about and tests a number of previously expressed hypotheses: the importance or otherwise of bilingual, bicultural teachers; native-speaker models of English; and cultural content of English lessons in contexts where English is a foreign rather than a second…

Discusses the difficulties faced by English-as-a-Second/Foreign-Language students who study at an English-medium university. Focuses on graduate students' oral needs and difficulties at the university of Hong Kong and argues that student needs should be systematically addressed to ensure students become effective communicators. (Author/VWL)

Investigated college students' attitudes and preferences toward error correction in the English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) classroom. A questionnaire was administered to 100 EFL students enrolled in spoken-English classes at a university.(Author/VWL)