This paper investigates the influence childhood bilingualism has on adult foreign language learning ability. Early research exploring the influence of bilingualism on general intelligence is mentioned as well as recent studies that present more favorable results. It is hypothesized that childhood bilingualism will have a positive effect on adult…

Immigrant education and Language Shelter programs for Finnish speakers living in Sweden are discussed in answer to Cora Brent-Palmer's criticism that a middle class bias exists in the Swedish educational system. She claims that the system operates against the academic opportunities and employment success of Finnish immigrants. However, it is…

This instructor's handbook of ten listening comprehension exercises, each consisting of 30 unrelated paragraphs, is part of the basic course in Indonesian. Beginning with the 36th week of instruction, the exercises are introduced at the rate of one per week. After hearing each paragraph, listeners have 10 seconds to indicate which of four English…

Three techniques of integrative FL testing are specifically discussed: dictation, cloze testing and noise testing. Studies show that dictation, when properly conducted, is a useful and efficient measure of overall language proficiency. Cloze testing is defined and illustrated with four examples, each with a different format. Noise or interference…

The effects of a language versus a dialogue emphasis and a structured versus an unstructured follow-up in intensive language instruction were assessed using eighty-three students destined for missionary work in Spanish-speaking countries. A 2 X 2 analysis of variance design was employed, with students assigned to one of four treatments: language…

This is a presentation of the results of a factor analysis of a battery of tests intended to measure listening and reading comprehension in English as a second language. The analysis sought to answer the following questions: (1) whether the factor analysis method yields results when applied to tests which are not specifically designed for this…

There have been four major court decisions affecting bilingual education: Lau v. Nichols, Serna v. Portales, Aspira v. the New York Board of Education and Keyes v. Denver School District No. 1. Lau v. Nichols was an action brought by non-English-speaking Chinese-origin students claiming to be denied an education because they could not comprehend…

A large-scale test development project at the Language Teaching Research Center of the University of Gothenburg aims to develop tests in English as a foreign language for use in various areas of business and public administration. After testing, certificates stating current proficiency level in each of the four language skills (listening, reading,…

Navaho Indians learning English tend to use two versions of the language: classroom English and an informal dialect spoken outside school. The sounds of Navaho are imposed on spoken English, and the phonological deviations produce morphological and syntactical errors. Mistakes in verb tense and in singular and plural suffixes are common. The value…

This article describes an experiment in early Welsh-English bilingual education which was begun in September of 1968 with 35 children and which continued for two years. There was one male teacher who used mostly Welsh and taught for one hour per day. The average age of the children at the beginning of the two-year experiment was five years, two…

Montreal high school students studying French as a second language completed a battery of tests including measures of linguistic aptitude, verbal intelligence, and various attitudinal and motivational characteristics. Analysis of the intercorrelations of these tests yielded two orthogonal factors equally related to ratings of achievement in…

The primary objective of the Regional English Language Center (RELC) is the improvement of standards of teaching and learning English as a second or foreign language in the countries of Southeast Asia: Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. This report on the RELC seminar on English language testing contains the…

A discussion of Chinese instruction in a Bordeaux lycee. Specific questions addressed are: enrollment; reasons for studying Chinese; the study of the written and spoken language; the need for an appropriate textbook; teaching culture; and the need to organize Chinese as a regular course in the curriculum. (AMH)

Relates research on second language acquisition (SLA) and research on the language problems of foreign teaching assistants (TAs) and their remediation. SLA research has not yet addressed specific data on the proficiency level needed for effective foreign TAs. Research needs are outlined. (Author/LMO)

Describes a computer-assisted interactive video system designed to improve listening comprehension skills. The courseware makes use of a wide selection HELP OPTIONS as feedback to aid the learner's mastery of authentic natural Korean. (LMO)