Discusses the influence a first language can have on the acquisition of a second language. Includes some tentative proposals on the interaction of prior first-language knowledge and the creative construction process. (EKN)

Discusses the difficulties English speakers experience in using correctly the various tenses of the past in French, focusing particularly on the imperfect tense. Proposes a series of exercises based on contrastive analysis that gradually lead the learner to restructure his intuitive grammar. (MES)

The differences between Pidgin Sign English and American Sign Language in simultaneity, or the visible presence of two or more linguistic units (manual or nonmanual) co-occurring, are demonstrated. Differences are exemplified in handshape-classifier pronouns, directional verbs, co-occurring manual signs, and nonmanual behavior. (PMJ)

By comparing Russian and English on the phonological and grammatical levels, guidelines are offered for teachers of English as a second language to Russian students. (CFM)

Examines the patterns of word formation as found in written English and written Chinese, contrasting the role of compounding, derivation, inflection, and word length as they relate to noun formation. Implications are drawn for the translator. (AM)

Presents a method, based on a contrastive analysis, for teaching English-speaking students of French how to express concepts of motion in the target language. (AM)

A contrastive analysis should describe the different processes of conceptualization in the languages under consideration. Furthermore, a detailed semantic analysis of linguistic items should be undertaken to discover perceptual strategies which force the speaker to use these items. Research in psycholinguistics is valuable in these tasks. (DB)

It is asserted that many errors in a foreign language result not merely from inaccurately learned grammatical items or structures but also from failure to understand the meaning distinctions indicated in the grammar of the new language. Implications for language teaching are discussed. (Author/RM)

Conclusions reached by recent studies of errors of students learning a foreign or second language give weight to the argument that an error analysis hypothesis could be used as a criterion for preparation of instructional materials. Error analysis reveals the learning strategies and processes in language education. (CHK)

Reports the results of using techniques of historical-comparative linguistics to determine the extent to which American Sign Language (ASL) has influenced basic vocabulary in Modern Standard Thai Sign Language (MSTSL), and the relationship of MSTSL to sign language varieties used in Thailand prior to ASL influence. (15 references) (Author/CK)

Presents a corpus-based analysis of two lexical items: Modern English "hand" and "fist" and their Middle Cornish equivalents, resulting in discovering semantic and collocational differences between the corresponding lexemes in these two languages. The article argues that grammatical meaning may form part of the lexical meaning…

Presents a diachronic, comparative analysis of three expressions of "ever" from English, German, and Dutch and attempts to shed light on the shifts of meaning of these time adverbs by discussing the relation between "always" and "ever," as well as the distinction into "always was" and "always will be". (12 references) (Author/CK)

Presents a contrastive statement of the potential that intonation has for differentiating identically worded syntactic patterns in English and German. Focuses on tonality, rehearses some well-known examples of tonality contrasts and introduces some less well-known ones as well, both of which provide examples of syntactic distinctions concealed in…