Relates language research to policy work. Shows how two common formats for writing policy reports (bureaucratic and legal) can incorporate both product features and process knowledge. Suggests an alternative report format building on contributions from personal accounts of events. (95 references) (MLH)

Recent research into the use of articulatory movements by the deaf has revealed the significance of this visual input, but research into the speech perception of the blind has demonstrated the significance of its loss. The implications of these findings for teaching and testing foreign language listening skills are considered. (Author/JL)

Presents an overview (from a broad cultural and historical perspective) of the effect of two languages and cultures on the creation of literature, the cosmopolitanism, and bilingualism of writers, and the effects of the related phenomena of biculturalism and diglossia on the production of literary texts. Shows that bilingualism has been a feature…

Considers how the cultivation of patterns of spoken English can help basic writers become more aware of the structures of written English. Provides background information needed for discussing with students the similar characteristics of oral and written language. (HB)

Drawing on archival data on the sound systems of five children ages 3 to 4 with normal development and 47 children ages 3 to 6 with phonological delay, one chain shift (interaction of phonological substitution errors) was identified in the speech of six children. Different derivational and constraint-based accounts of the chain shift were…

In a study of development of automaticity in second-language word recognition, 105 English-speakers speaking French performed multiple lexical-decision tasks, and differences in coefficient of variation of lexical decision reaction time were compared cross- sectionally and longitudinally. Results confirm that with extended learning experience, the…

Concerned about the inexact terminology used in job descriptions and in documents connected with promotion and tenure, this article defines second-language acquisition as a subfield of applied linguistics and compares it to other fields with which it is often confused. Misunderstandings about SLA do not allow it the credit it deserves as a…

Responds to a previous article on native-language (L1) use in the collaborative interaction of native English-speaking adult learners of Spanish as a second language, which found that the L1 serves a critical function in students' attempts to mutually define task elements, provide each other with scaffolding help, and externalize inner speech.…

Uses a theoretical framework derived from Vygotsky's writings to review studies of science classroom discourse interactions between teachers and students. Suggests that shifting the research focus from isolated instructional activities to promote conceptual change toward viewing such activities in the critically influential context of an ongoing…

Response to criticism of oral grammar correction in second-language (L2) instruction which argues that while there are challenges and complexities in providing effective feedback, error correction should not be abandoned. Continued systematic, rigorous research to investigate whether different types of feedback are more effective, and to what…

Two experiments examined infants' reliance on object shape versus color for word generalization to animate and inanimate objects. Infants were taught labels for either novel vehicles or novel animals using preferential-looking procedure or an interactive procedure. Results of both experiments indicated that infants limited their word…

Discusses how English-as-Second/Foreign-Language teachers, equipped with a good syllabus and methodology, should be able to engineer aspects that create equal opportunities for both males and females in all areas of classroom interaction. Suggests that more research is needed on the origins of gender differences and its effect on second-language…

Compares development of phonological awareness across Turkish- and English-speaking kindergarten and first-grade children. Finds the Turkish speakers were more proficient in handling syllables and deleting final phonemes, and that the patterns were related to characteristics of the respective spoken languages. Discusses development of phonological…

Contributes to research on child-directed speech by examining the use of two types of utterances (reported speech and prompts) in interactions involving mothers, toddlers, and other adults or siblings in rural Senegal. Shows that mothers attempt to promote exchange in a triadic framework, with the goal of making the child part of a complex set of…

Comments on the de facto agenda for study abroad research; reviews literature on reading and study abroad; argues for a "social practices" view of foreign language literacy; and presents findings from an illustrative project in which a qualitative approach framed exploration of study abroad literacy as social practice. (Author/VWL)