Compares 39 native teachers' and 41 native nonteachers' perception of elementary learners' spoken Japanese. Interviews between a native speaker and a learner were audiotaped, and the 80 natives evaluated them according to grammar, fluency, vocabulary, appropriateness, comprehensibility and pronunciation. Results indicate teachers are more critical…

Discusses the nature of good writing strategies, illustrates principles of correction and evaluation, and describes the elements of a writing curriculum for college students of Italian. The author suggests a series of writing activities and evaluation criteria to assess writing proficiency at beginning and intermediate levels. (26 references) (CK)

Research results suggest that neural networks are able to generalize the past tense form from the base form and that phonological form plays a significant role in generalizing. This conclusion questions the scope and validity of learning models currently promoted in both first- and second-language learning theories. (Contains 29 references.)…

The theoretical model behind learner training is based on unsupported assumptions and characteristics, and strategies of good language learning behavior are poorly defined. Factors that account for success or failure of learner training include student characteristics and students' and teachers' beliefs about language learning. (Contains 36…

Sixteen students with learning disabilities or at risk of failure in foreign language study participated in a peer tutoring program with Spanish vocabulary. The classwide reciprocal peer tutoring system was found to be a feasible component of foreign language instruction, as high levels of Spanish words were learned and maintained, and incidental…

Shows that intermediate learners of German whose first language is English experience more semantic difficulties when reading an English text and more syntactic difficulties when reading a German version of the same text. A stronger emphasis on syntactic features, such as word category, agreement relationships, tensing, and word placement in the…

This paper presents and comments on an experiment on teaching grammar that was started at Gettysburg College (PA). Using a proficiency-based approach, this course uses films as texts that provide a cultural, visual, and linguistic context in which the class functions. (six references) (JL)

A member of the Toronto Board of Education argues that exposure to international languages in elementary school constitutes an important part of a forward-looking, up-to-date educational system. Maintains that the learning of a second or third language has positive social and economic benefits. (MDM)

An attempt to integrate computer-assisted instruction with present classroom practices and the curriculum in English-as-a-foreign-language classes is described. Results with 94 Finnish students indicated that computer-assisted instruction is as feasible as conventional instruction in the second-language learning environment. (SLD)

Evaluation of a pilot attempt to introduce records of achievement in adult language courses received 96 replies from students, many of whom did not see their relevance to their own objectives. Most hostile were students in advanced conversational courses. Tutor enthusiasm diminished due to student resistance. (SK)

Incarcerated adolescent males (n=62) with high and low depression scores were assigned to a positive or neutral affect induction condition. Following affect induction, subjects participated in tasks involving learning to read Hindi words. Results showed a main effect for self-induced positive affect on learning but no main effect for depression…

A group of college-level Spanish students received metacognitive awareness raising--a single session that, by means of brainstorming, involved students in developing a general awareness of language learning strategies. Final course grades were compared across control and experimental groups, revealing significantly higher scores for the latter.…

Describes "SuperMemo," a memorization tool that uses an automated flashcard scheme that can include sound and graphics in the database of study items. Based on the learner's performance, "SuperMemo" schedules items to appear for review. Xia Li Ba Ren ("common person" in Chinese) is the name of a Chinese word processor that runs with a standard…

Presents a survey of 37 1st-year secondary and postsecondary Spanish textbooks for their coverage of the voseo, a frequently used, 2nd person singular form of address. Results indicate that only 16% of the analyzed texts included any reference to the voseo. The article recommends inclusion of the voseo in future Spanish textbooks and in class…

Considers the interrater reliability of certified testers in five European languages, the relationship between interviewer-assigned ratings and second ratings based on audio replay, interrater reliability as a function of proficiency level, effect of different languages on interrater agreement, and interrater disagreements with regard to…