A study investigated variations in five native Japanese-speakers' consonant patterns in English as a Second Language. The eight phonological segments considered were English consonant clusters and final consonants. Subjects listened to a recording of a text by a native English-speaker and then read the text aloud five times. A similar procedure…

Some of the major research on the effects of meaning, frequency, context, and redundancy on word identification in first language reading comprehension is reviewed. The research indicates that the ability to identify words accurately and automatically has a direct effect on comprehension; at the same time comprehension affects word identification.…

Recent research by Valette, Oller, and others has shown the utility of dictation as a measure of general language competence when correlated with achievement and proficiency batteries for French and English as a second language. No such studies have been conducted with Spanish. The investigator hypothesized that since Spanish is a phonetic…

THE EFFECT OF EXPOSURE TO FRENCH IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES (FLES) ON LATER LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY AND PERFORMANCE IN FRENCH COURSES IN HIGH SCHOOL WAS EVALUATED. ONE GROUP OF 17 HAD BEEN GIVEN ABOUT 1 HOUR A WEEK OF AUDIOLINGUAL TRAINING BEGINNING IN GRADE 3. THE OTHER GROUP OF 15 BEGAN FRENCH IN GRADE 9. BOTH GROUPS WERE ADMINISTERED THE MLA…

Details a program of intensive language learning at Kenston (Ohio) High School that begins with a two-and-one-half-hour-a-day class and ends with a three-week homestay abroad on school time. The approach involves using foreign language for communicating about matters relevant to the students combined with a no-grade, no-fail system. (Author/EJS)

Reports the results of a study which sought to investigate the validity of the oral interview in testing language proficiency, in particular that of adult students of English as a Second Language. (Author/AM)

Questions the validity of current measurement instruments or techniques which purport to assess affective variables, and relates this to the question of correlation between measures of affective variables and attained language proficiency. (AM)

A study of the evolution of audiovisual methods with particular emphasis on verb usage and indirect discourse. Early texts were totally language-centered; newer texts are student-centered and, in spite of grammatical difficulties introduced, make authentic oral communication possible and attractive earlier in the course. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

Presents a test, including vocabulary, syntax, translation and reading comprehension, for high school graduates beginning the university curriculum in English Studies. The test is designed for placing students in one of three basic courses and providing a basis for counseling. The test's four parts are described. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Mexican-American women studying in a vocational school in New Mexico were studied in order to investigate: (1) the relationship between attained proficiency in English and attitudes toward self and toward the native and target language groups; and (2) reasons for learning English and coming to the United States. (CFM)

A description of French Nights held in an Australian secondary school. These were educational experiences which enlisted the service and cooperation of other departments in the school, aroused and sustained the enthusiasm of the students and proved to be important in maintaining good public relations. (AMH)

Analysis of multilingual acquisition processes among children at the European School of Brussels reveals how both curricular and extra-curricular factors combine to account for these students' high levels of proficiency in three or four languages. Schumann's (1979) Acculturation Model applied to one case study allows examination of how the…

The study and appreciation of literature should retain its traditional position at the center of foreign language study. A "problem-centered" model is described for teaching literature in the undergraduate foreign language classroom using texts organized around a series of complex critical problems. (CB)

The study of authentic texts gives students the opportunity to become functional in target-language situations. An exhaustive alphabetical list of authentic text types and corresponding learning activities are presented. Text types include: advertisements, bank materials, bills and receipts, calendars, captions, comics, commercials, decals, forms,…

Reviews key issues in the debate over the role of grammar in the American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview and in corresponding proficiency guidelines as well as the debate's potential impact on foreign language curricula. Data describing the grammatical accuracy of 40 interviews at various proficiency…