A "dynamic priority" theory of Chinese second language instruction is outlined and discussed. The theory focuses on five aspects of language instruction: spoken vs. written language; universality vs. particularity; cultural vs. linguistic tasks; performance vs. competence; and proficiency vs. achievement. A dynamic relationship is seen between the…

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences theory is presented as a cognitive perspective on intelligence which has profound implications for education in general. More specifically, it has led to the application of eight of these frames to language teaching and learning. In this chapter, we will argue in favour of the application of MIT to the EFL…

THE NARRATIVE PORTION OF THIS REPORT DESCRIBES THE SPECIALLY DESIGNED 1966 NDEA SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR STATE FOREIGN LANGUAGE SUPERVISORS HELD AT INDIANA UNIVERSITY. IT SUMMARIZES ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN IN THE SIX PRINCIPAL AREAS OF THE CURRICULUM--(1) STATISTICS, (2) EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND RESEARCH, (3) LINGUISTICS, (4) SUPERVISION AND CURRICULUM…

Variables affecting the effectiveness of immersion language programs are evaluated, including sociolinguistic context, attitudes, the structure of immersion grammars, and the learning processes of the children. (MSE)

Describes the learning processes experienced by six language teachers within the context of a three-year research project in which they worked and in the context of doing their Ph.D.s as research assistants. These processes involved learning specific research skills, understanding teaching practices, development of theory and concepts, links with…

Today, teaching and learning tend to be viewed from a constructivist perspective. Learning is regarded as a self-directed process of constructing meaning, which takes place in interaction. The teacher supports the learning process by selecting input and approaches that can scaffold the learning process and guide learners towards independent…

Metacognition, an awareness of one's own thought processes, plays a central role in explaining and describing the learning process. As it shapes learners' beliefs about and attitudes toward learning which in turn affect their behaviours, it directly relates to language learning and teaching as well. Thus, cautious teachers should understand and…

In order to become "the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion" the European Union realizes its people as the most important asset. Moreover, every human becomes a value for the whole society. It makes significant to…

This paper outlines a comprehensive approach to uncovering the process of second language acquisition, entitled Interlanguage Analysis (IA), and defines the features and aims of this analysis. IA regards the transitional linguistic system from the learner's first language (L1) to the target language (TL) as interlanguage (IL). Language acquisition…

A review of literature shows that culture shock is a complex phenomenon characterized by discomfort and anxiety resulting from difficulty in interacting in an unfamiliar social and communicative context. Difficulty arises not from unfamiliar "rules" of behavior but from the intangibility of differences in cultural values, expectations, and roles.…

Two studies compared the effectiveness of the bilingual-dichotic method with conventional diotic methods for teaching Russian vocabulary to English-speakers. Subjects were 101 college students. In the bilingual-dichotic method, the foreign word is presented to the right ear and simultaneously, the equivalent native word is presented to the left…

The progress theorists have made toward developing models of second-language acquisition suggests that researchers need to pay more attention to classroom data. Computer-assisted language learning (CALL) can link theory to practice. A review of the connections between second language acquisition theory and CALL points out several factors,…

Foreign language instruction and related research on second language acquisition in the United States can be understood only in the context of the role of English, of American education, and of speech and language research. Any part of an educational system is both a result of historical processes and a response to current needs and values. The…

A study of the language used in the dialogue journals of beginning students of English as a second language (ESL) focused on the acquisition of English morphology. The study used two methodological approaches: a comparison of journal language with that used in speech and other written samples, and a longitudinal look at change patterns that also…

Research on content area reading in English as a second language (ESL) has focused on the psycholinguistic and educational aspects of reading. Psycholinguistic research has found that reading comprehension is not solely a result of text variables such as sentence complexity and length or vocabulary, but is largely dependent on reader variables,…