THIS DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING IN THE WASHOE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA RESULTED FROM A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY AN EXPERIENCED LANGUAGE TEACHER. USING DATA GLEANED FROM QUESTIONNAIRES DISTRIBUTED TO THE UNIVERSITY FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDENTS AND INFORMATION GATHERED FROM CLASS…

This paper reports on results of a questionnaire survey of 84 schools representing 25,928 Afrikaans-speaking pupils in the Cape Province of South Africa. The survey revealed that only 13 of the teachers were English-speaking; the rest were Afrikaans-speaking. Most of the children never hear English out of school, or hear it under conditions…

At this time, there are few readily available tests that measure aural structure abilities in lower-level ESL classes in adult or high school. In the past two years, however, the Ilyin Oral Interview (Newbury House, 1972,76) has been successfully adapted from its one-to-one format to a mass listening test. It is being used in San Francisco Bay…

This three-month project utilized commercially prepared programed materials in French, German, and Spanish instruction for eighth graders selected for high language aptitude and above average ability. Interviews with participating students made after the completion of the project are the basis of the project evaluation which includes…

Research in second language learning supports the hypothesis that success in language learning is related to students' attitudes about the culture represented by the target language. This study tests the hypothesis by examining two Spanish programs at three high schools which have a large Mexican-American student enrollment. Declining enrollment…

Three surveys (1983, 1984, 1985) were performed by the National Foundation for Education Research in England and Wales to investigate how pupils in early secondary years think and feel about their foreign language learning. Tables outlining the students' attitudes (boys' separately from girls') toward classroom activities including the usefulness,…

Describes a study which attempted to determine the successful strategies utilized by adolescent learners studying French. The learning strategies investigated include: (1) classroom behaviors, (2) individual study tactics, and (3) social interaction behaviors. These strategies are examined in relation to their significance on different language…

EFL learners from three language institutes in Brazil answered the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning--SILL--to self-report how they go about learning English. They emerged as balanced users of various strategies with a tendency to use metacognitive and social strategies to learn the language. This tendency, further reinforced by factor…

In the past decade over 30,000 young college graduates from overseas have been employed in Japan by the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET). The stated goals of the program are to enhance foreign language education, to internationalize the country's viewpoint, and to promote mutual understanding between Japan and other countries. This study…

From the results of questionnaires, it was found that students in a Japanese English-as-a-Second-Language course tended to be highly motivated to learn. At the same time, however, they did not seem ready for autonomous learning. It is speculated that because of their past learning experiences, where the students were excessively…

This paper describes a learner centered, cooperative learning group project in a post-secondary English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classroom in Japan. The objectives of the cooperative learning project were fivefold: students would learn to work enthusiastically toward activating target language learning acquired in the past; do research on a…

The purpose of this study is to help Taiwanese English-as-a- foreign-language (EFL) college students construct the concept of gender equality by reading and responding to two gender issues: housework and virginity. Educational researchers have been interested in and aware of the importance of promoting the concept and practice of gender equality…

Examines Israeli-Druze students' reading comprehension in Hebrew as a second language as related to their attitudes, cultural background, and interest in the material. Participants were administered questionnaires, Arab and Jewish cultural stories, and multiple-choice questions about each story. Results are discussed. (51 references) (Author/CK)

Presents general background on the Israeli Circassians and focuses on a study of Circassian pupils in Kfar Kama, the larger of the two Circassian villages in Israel. This study confirms the solid self-identity and firmly entrenched position of the mother tongue among the Circassians of Israel. Additional study is planned. (35 references)…

Examines ways to motivate students who do not want to learn a foreign language. Questionnaires were completed by 191 year 9 pupils and 7 teachers. The responses of the teachers offered simple strategies that could be replicated without great addition to workload or financial outlay. Responses of a disgruntled minority of students are presented.…