Examined the interrelationships between learning approaches, study motivation, hours of study, perceived workload, English language ability, and grade point average among 174 students in a mechanical engineering course at a Hong Kong university who completed a week-long study diary. Found that the variables were weakly interrelated. Perceived work…

Investigates target language variability between speaking and writing in the second language acquisition of non-native English speakers. Results reveal that as narrators advance in English proficiency, they develop more abstract content and reported style in speech and writing and that speech and writing become more interactive. (28 references)…

A study examined the outcomes of early bilingualism for majority-language speakers. English and Japanese proficiency of 48 Japanese high school students attending an English-medium international school in Japan were assessed using standardized tests, writing samples, and oral tasks. Students who had received initial schooling in Japanese developed…

Studies the effect of vocabulary glossing on reading comprehension in second-language learning. Findings reveal that there was a significant effect for glossing but no significant interactions between the treatment and any of the other variables, i.e., psychological type, tolerance of ambiguity, proficiency, frequency of gloss use, perceived value…

Interviews with four U.S.-born, Latina, novice bilingual teachers revealed their lack of real opportunities to acquire the academic Spanish so crucial to their development as bilingual teachers. Educational policy governing Spanish-English bilingualism and biliteracy for the bilingual teacher education "pipeline" is at best incidental…

Addresses the issue of foreign language instruction for elementary and junior high school children in Texas, and describes and assesses a five-week workshop that was designed to help teachers improve their language skills and instruct them in teaching methodology. (10 references) (GLR)

A survey of native Arabic speaking students in the Department of English at Yarmouck University revealed their dissatisfaction with their proficiency level, the study plan, the lack of emphasis on language in literature classes, and the failure of literature classes to help them master syntax, morphology, and phonetic complexities. (CB)

Describes and assesses current and past communicative language learning exercises used by the Foreign Service Institute's Russian Program to "break down" classroom walls with activities encouraging language acquisition, including immersion experiences, internships, speaking tracks, and language/area integration. Sample activities are…

A study investigated the academic performance of international students in the College of Liberal Arts relative to other students, the relationship between admissions criteria and subsequent performance, and determined how many international students in selected fields of study can meet the admission requirements for further study in their fields.…

Finds that, among 2100 Hispanic elementary students in a four-stage bilingual program, primary language achievement, instructional level, and oral English performance were important indicators of English reading achievement scores and readiness for reclassification to an all-English program. Contains 17 references and 9 tables. (Author/SV)

Responds to Dunn's paper on Hispanic-Anglo differences in IQ scores. Argues that vocabulary use influences ethnic group IQ scores, that mainland Hispanic-American vocabulary scores decline after school entrance, and that native language proficiency achieved in a true bilingual program facilitates acquisition of English language skills. Contains 34…

Describes an English for specific purposes case study course designed to improve both oral and written skills of students about to seek the master of business administration degree. A video method helps to develop fluency in small-group discussion, a skill that is important for other oral classroom activities. (CB)

Examines three hypotheses regarding the relationship between nativity, language affiliation, and interurban mobility in Canada during the intercensal period 1976-81. A series of crosstabular and logistic regression analyses provide support for all three hypotheses. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed in the context of ethnic…

Analyzes the differences in responses of 94 bilingual South African college students to questionnaires in both English and Afrikaans. Concludes that the use of translated questionnaires need not lead to biased results. (FMW)

Second-language narrative development was investigated by focusing on the evaluative use of modal verbs. The data consist of 45 retellings of 6 model stories by 8 Panjabi-speaking youth. Evidence is given for the development of evaluative syntax with age and/or increasing language experience of proficiency and also for inherent individual…