Examines whether more attention needs to be paid to listening as a necessary skill in the diagnosing and preparation of foreign language students and whether listening skill is a good predictor of language achievement. (GLR)

Examination of the ability of 300 German learners of English to state relevant rules and supply appropriate corrections to 12 common English errors indicates that, although rules do seem to help students correct errors, students could frequently supply appropriate corrections without knowing rules, which were sometimes difficult to learn. (41…

Examination of the effects of oral proficiency interview (OPI) testing on third-, fourth-, and fifth-year high school foreign language students found significant correlations between student performance at the higher OPI levels and on achievement tests as well as providing a sense of common direction to teachers and programs. (26 references)…

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Proficiency Guidelines are first reviewed and analyzed, followed by an analysis of the Spanish language writing produced by students at a very selective, private university who were enrolled at different levels of Spanish language study. (75 references) (LB)

Provides an overview of issues and research in three areas where gender manifests itself in the English-as-a-foreign-language classroom: the English language, materials (grammars, textbooks and teacher-guides), and processes (learning styles and strategies). Also examined are implications of gender in materials and classroom interaction for…

Reports on grammaticality judgments by early learners of a second language (Italian). The data, contrary to what might be assumed, point to no relationship between intuition and performance for L2 Learners. Data concerning advanced learners may prove to be more valid. (34 references) (LET)

Explored the effects of inherent task structure and processing load on narrative retelling task performance, analyzing task performance in terms of competition among fluency, complexity, and accuracy. Research with young adults found that degree of inherent task structure more strongly affected fluency of performance. Processing load influenced…

Presenting four types of evidence, this article argues that grammatical competence should not be a subcomponent of communicative competence in second-language instruction, but have a separate status. Focuses on the critical role of grammatical competence in the overall development of target-language proficiency. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the Defense Language Institute's Foreign Language Center's (DLIFLC) annual program review. Representatives from the Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, HQ TRADOC, National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Command, Control, Communication, and Intelligence met to discuss…

Suggests that within the context of the Air Expedition Force, the United States Air Force must validate language skills and change current policies and practices to meet new, more dynamic requirements. Recommends a fresh look at language skills, especially for officers. (Author/VWL)

Focuses on the introduction of standards in the Australian educational setting, which have been used to measure language learning. Suggests that language teaching and assessment are likely to be most effective if teachers' awareness extends beyond the technicalities of assessment. (Author/VWL)

Considers the organization of the wording of the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) descriptions of four language skills across five levels, principally as they relate to second-language learners. A paper is summarized that posits four textual levels that may be assumed to cover the communicative needs of speakers of most, if not all,…

Presents the fourth year of research on a project documenting and evaluating a core Japanese foreign language in the elementary school (FLES) program. Data are analyzed for 32 students. Findings reveal that overall linguistic growth was significant in Year 4. Profiles and provides a cross-case analysis of six students who have participated in the…

Investigated the role in second language (L2) learning of ethnocentrism, cultural and personality traits, and acceptance of values and beliefs expressed in myths and proverbs. Japanese adults (n-108) living in North American were asked how much they agreed with or accepted statements expressing ethnocentric views about Japanese culture and…

Discusses a general theory of signs showing that the relationship between acquired language proficiencies and nonverbal abilities must be closer than commonly supposed. Presents a general theory of signs showing why it is possible in principle to make linguistically and culturally unbiased judgments about intellectual abilities on the basis of…