A review of literature on second-language curriculum design in Australia outlines some general trends in communicative language teaching theory and needs-based language curriculum planning, task-based learning, and recent cultural, social, and literacy perspectives on curriculum, and then examines specific initiatives to reform curricula, to…

Describes and evaluates a program developed within the English Centre at the University of Hong Kong to assist students who are required to present dissertations in English. The program is based on data collected from detailed interviews with graduate supervisors and from a survey of graduate students. (Author/JL)

Basic theorizing regarding the notion of "cultural schemata" is presented as well as an analysis of how this theory impacts cross-cultural understanding in modern China. It is concluded that task-based problem-solving approaches, which have a sociocultural basis, can provide a very useful structure for developing oral language skills in…

Considers two issues in teaching summary-writing skills to students of English for academic purposes (EAP): how the skill is handled in EAP textbooks, and how summarization practices differ across cultural groups. A central concern is the role of attribution, a textual device that creates distance between author and summarizer. Argues that…

Suggests that the notion of near-native language ability, as currently used in the language teaching profession, should be re-examined. The concept of native speech is complex and often idealized, involving not only a teacher's language skills but also sociocultural norms, peer perceptions, and attitudes about ethnic or regional usage. The concept…

Examines how classroom cultures in the United States and Asia are discursively constructed by researchers in applied linguistics and education. Suggests that the literature of applied linguistics and some in education compares idealized perspectives of U.S. classrooms with more typical images of classrooms in Asia. (Author/VWL)

Examines the emergence of the present perfect in the interlanguage of adult learners of English as a Second Language (ESL). Part of a growing body of research on the acquisition of temporal expression by learners of a variety of second languages, this study explores a tense/aspect form acquired late in first language acquisition. (Author/VWL)

Argues that it is misleading to represent pragmatism in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) as a unified discourse offering ideological support to an unexamined educational, academic, and sociopolitical status quo. The article appeals for reflectively pragmatic approaches towards formulating and investigating issues in EAP and all language…

This article draws connections between first- and second-language literature on listening and reading in order to explore the implications for integrated instruction in English for academic purposes (EAP). It compares academic listening and reading experiences, discusses EAP curriculum design principles, suggests alternative strategies for…

Discusses pedagogical issues for second-language teaching within the framework of a changing Canadian culture. These issues include consciousness raising to heighten teachers' and students' perceptions of the role of culture, teacher preparation for teaching in a multicultural classroom, and balancing the dominant cultural paradigm with the new…

This article considers how graduate, diploma, and certificate programs in second-language acquisition and didactics, as well as intercultural communication, can help professionalize language instruction and benefit all levels of instruction. (36 references) (Author/CK)

Reviews research addressing the relationship between native language skills and success in learning a foreign language. Describes four components of a language-based model for diagnosing foreign language learning problems. Highlights three major intervention strategies for at-risk foreign language learners. (53 citations) (MAB)

Presents descriptions and examples of processes used by French-as-a-Second-Language instructors to teach vocabulary, reporting qualitative analyses of classroom transcripts and pedagogical materials used to teach. Teachers emphasized semantic aspects of lexis; lexical instruction in analytic and experiential classes was characterized by similar…

Describes a program designed to help prepare learners for entry into the Canadian workplace. The article delineates an "English and Employment" class developed as a result of a concern expressed by 25 male students urgently needing employment. The curriculum included a self-awareness component, resume writing, job search strategies, and…

Discusses employment equity as a systemic solution of the Ontario government that focuses on the elimination of policies and practices within the system and institutions that perpetuate discrimination. The article argues that successful completion of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) training has not guaranteed fair access to employment. (eight…