From a constructivist perspective on learning, mistakes are seen as natural elements of learning processes. A supportive and constructive way of dealing with student mistakes has shown to affect students' individual motivation and learning performances in a favorable way. In classroom settings, however, making mistakes is not just a personal but…

A longitudinal case study examining the learning of English (focusing on grammatical morphemes) by a Tunisian adolescent speaker of Arabic and French showed that the second language learner relies on his prior linguistic knowledge to facilitate new learning and that second language learning like first language acquisition is a creative process.…

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 paper discusses the factors that either facilitate or inhibit vocabulary learning and suggests practical classroom techniques for beginning and more advanced students. Vocabulary acquisition is related to the learning situation and to the form, meaning, and grammatical role of the new item in the target language. The focus of the teaching…

Compares the effectiveness of Nihongo-CALI (Japanese Computer Assisted Language Instruction) with non-CALI workbook instruction. Findings reveal that given the same grammar notes and exercises, ongoing intelligent computer feedback is more effective than simple workbook answer sheets for developing learners' grammatical skill in producing Japanese…

Issues related to school instruction in students' heritage or ancestral language are discussed, particularly in regard to dialect-speaking children or children with some degree of competence in the language. The first chapter considers similarities and differences between second language instruction and heritage language education. The findings on…

Reports on a multivariate study that examined the contribution of two independent variables--cognitive/academic proficiency in first language and attitudes and motivation toward English as a foreign language--on success in English as a foreign language in culturally different learners. (27 references) (Author/OD)

Papers on language processing, culture, and language learning and teaching include: "A Theory of Intelligence as Semiosis: With a Couple of Comments on Interlanguage Development" (John W. Oller, Jr.); "Along the Way: Interlanguage Systems in Second Language Acquisition" (Larry Selinker); "Strategy and Tactics in Second Language Acquisition"…