This article describes how second language learners become more autonomous in the language learning process, how the cooperative learning strategy helps improve the learning outcome, and how second language learners apply learning strategies to learning tasks both in the classroom and outside of the classroom. Three activities were offered:…

National standards published in 1995 addressed the importance of foreign language education and identified five goal areas: communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. This study incorporated these five goals and examined the potential of electronic mail in foreign language learning. In addition, it looked at cultural…

A study compared the abilities of non-native speakers of English who have been in the United States for varying amounts of time with the ability of native speakers to perceive and produce primary stress at the phrase level. Subjects, all having at least 1 year of college education, were 10 native speakers of North American English, 6 native…

This study investigated the beliefs about language learning held by secondary school students of French, German, Latin, and Spanish at five levels of instruction. Subjects were 447 students aged 11-18 years. Survey questions concerned language learning strategies and patterns, personal motivation for language learning, language aptitude, and the…

Instructor attitudes toward students with non-native accents were examined in a study of 55 student teachers attending a small, private liberal arts college in the San Francisco (California) area. A review of the literature included information on error analysis, communication, general attitudes, instructor attitudes, and classroom behavior and…

This study investigated the relationship between aptitude, as measured by Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) scores, and oral proficiency as measured by the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) scores of 72 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents who completed basic foreign language training at the Defense Language Institute (DLI).…

Educational goals and objectives of foreign language programs in the United States are described. Trends in objectives are divided into a practical and a personal domain. Practical considerations include: (1) the duty of the school systems to provide a thorough basic education for the taxpayers' dollars, (2) career education, (3) equality of…

An analysis of Kanji errors made by students of Japanese at International Christian University over a period of a year, as well as answers to a questionnaire on Kanji study, indicate that the learning of Kanji relies greatly on individual work outside of class. A method is presented which uses slides to enable students to study Kanji on their own.…

To investigate the role of the teacher aide in second language programs, the California Association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (CATESOL) has issued a questionnaire to teacher aides in the Title VII bilingual projects in California. The questionnaire and conclusions drawn from replies are presented here. Information is…

Affective learning, psychomotor learning and cognitive learning are three objectives of education; they cannot be completely separated and often one type of objective may be a means of achieving another. This study attempted to begin bridging the gap between the affective objectives and the cognitive-psychomotor objectives in foreign language…

A summary is presented of the views of foreign language experts concerning the foreign language requirements for preparation toward liberal arts degrees in schools and colleges, and their opinions on what should be priority goals of foreign language departments. Questionnaire responses were obtained from 47 foreign language specialists. (SW)

The use of the Language Background Questionnaire is analyzed, and the following criticisms are offered: (1) the varying nature and range of questions used, (2) the inclusion of indirect language background questions, and (3) previous methods of categorization of individuals into groups using language background scores. (SL)

This paper discusses how self assessment can be used to promote faculty awareness about the effectiveness of their instructional methods and materials in a non-threatening, positive atmosphere, and thereby, promote team-building. Through the vehicle of self-evaluation, facilitated by a self-assessment questionnaire on which faculty rate their…

This teacher guidebook is intended to be a comprehensive resource for second language teachers wishing to use and teach language learning strategies to their students. It is intended to be used by both English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers and teachers of such foreign languages as German, French, and Spanish to American native speakers of…

This paper describes the procedures for developing and delivering a training program designed to enhance the language ability and teacher training skills of lead teachers of English in the Czech Republic. The described program was funded by PHARE, a European Commission funding source dedicated to strengthening and enhancing the skills, knowledge,…