The research reported in the study was undertaken to measure English language teachers' ability to interpret second language learners' intended meanings in idiosyncratic utterances in written English. In doing so, it also aimed at verifying Corder's (1981) speculation that language teachers can correctly guess the intended meanings of learners in…

Introduces this special issue of the journal, which focuses on an important aspect of learner language--linguistic errors. Each of the nine articles are highlighted. (Author/VWL)

Pedagogical, linguistic theoretical, and psychological perspectives on corrective feedback in the field of second-language learning/teaching are discussed, and an attempt is made to integrate these different perspectives. (39 references) (JL)

Assessed the provision and use of implicit negative feedback in the interactional context of adult beginning learners of Spanish working in dyads in the foreign language classroom. Relationships among error types, feedback types, and immediate learner repair were also examined. Findings indicate learners did not provide explicit negative feedback…

Examines types of corrective feedback, their distribution, and effects, most ostensibly uptake, as produced in nonnative/nonnative conversational dyads in French. (Author/VWL)

To overcome obstacles in error detection needed for intelligent feedback in computer assisted language learning (CALL), calls for a new focus on lexical items, both single words and multiword units of various types. Suggests single and multiword lexemes should not only be explicitly taught in CALL but could also provide the key to more effective…

Reviews research on the effectiveness of recasts in first and second language acquisition, paying particular attention to how recasts have been defined and how their impact has been assessed in observational and experimental studies. Concludes that recasts appear to be most effective in contexts where it is clear to the learner that the recast is…

The debate continues between those who believe in giving corrective feedback to students to improve their written accuracy and those who do not. Indeed, the results of the many experimental studies on written corrective feedback carried out over the last 20 years have been so contradictory that second language teachers looking to support their…

Discusses selected theoretical aspects of providing error feedback for language learners. Theoretical considerations concerning the dialog with the learner about linguistic errors are discussed, and some conclusions for computer assisted language learning (CALL) system design are drawn. (Author/VWL)

This paper examines contemporary trends in the error correction literature. Emphases are on types of errors and methods of correction that affect second-language acquisition. (54 references) (JL)

Discusses the possible use of automatic speech recognition (ASR) for training students to improve their accents in a foreign language. Principles of good language training as well as the limits of the use of ASR and how to deal with them are discussed, and an example from the Carnegie Mellon FLUENCY system is used to show how such a system may…

Reports on a study that examined whether teachers' expectations toward error correction differed from students' expectations. Data has been gathered over 4 years from teachers, teacher trainees, and students in 15 countries. Specially, participants were asked to answer yes or no to the following question: Should teachers correct every mistake…

Reports on an exploratory study that examined and compared foreign-language student and teacher beliefs regarding the benefit of a focus on form in language learning. Results showed that students are relatively favorable toward a focus on form; however, surprising discrepancies surfaced in teacher beliefs and in a comparison of student and teacher…

Poses four important questions relevant to error diagnosis and correction in computer assisted language learning (CALL). These questions relate to the diagnosis of persistent second language (L2) learner grammar errors, whether these can be corrected, what types of feedback from the computer are most efficient for focusing the students' attention…

Investigated the extent to which form-focused instruction and corrective feedback (i.e., "input enhancement"), provided within a primarily communicative program, contribute to learners' accuracy in question formation. Study results are interpreted as evidence that input enhancement can bring about genuine changes in learners' interlanguage…