In lieu of language lab attendance, second-year language students had the option of attending a drama lab. This program has met with great success. The objective of the lab is to improve skills in pronunciation, intonation, and stress patterns. Also, an environment is created in which the student feels at home with the target language. (PJM)

Discusses problems with using debate as a way of stimulating spontaneous speech in the ESL classroom. Presents six steps to aid in eliciting "controlled spontaneity," where the debate topic is known beforehand and students can prepare. The listeners, after asking the debaters questions, choose a winner. (PJM)

Isolates a dozen problems with diction and sentence structure that comprise the "gobbledygook syndrome." (RL)

The acquisition and use of locative prepositions by 30 Hebrew-speaking children aged two to three years was investigated in a cross-sectional study. Both the order of acquisition and the role of linguistic complexity in determining that order were examined. (Author/AM)

Discusses second language learning in the context of linguistic and societal needs of the learner. (AM)

Examines methods of teaching the stylistics of language usage, emphasizing revision in the composing process. (RL)

Tells how one teacher provides English instruction by simulating an atmosphere of medical internships and consultation. Notes the benefits of such a classroom game. (RL)

Considers the interactions of language and thought, noting the attendant implications for language instruction. (RL)

Presents a historical analysis of the Chinese in Cuba and examines the influence of the Chinese language on Spanish. Examples are given of Chinese words used in Cuba today and it is concluded that they have made a considerable contribution to Cuban Spanish. (NCR)

Describes the development and field-testing of an interaction analysis instrument that focused on language usage and discussion skills development. Also presents background information related to such interaction analysis instruments for use in linguistically/culturally different settings and a rationale for development of effective teacher…

Cree has a grammatical distinction that differs from the Western concept that is relevant for the selection of nominal and verbal endings between animate and inanimate nouns. Examples illustrate how the Cree distinction cuts across animate/inanimate boundaries. (PMJ)

Examines the extent to which sociocultural features influence the emergence of a standard Nigerian English. (Author/AM)

Spanish/English bilingual 5 to 11-year-old children were interviewed in both languages to assess the reliability of their language background self-ratings. (CM)

Discusses the comparative strength of language use as measured by languages used in transnational radio broadcasting. Findings indicate that politics and Christian evangelism are the two major concerns dominating broadcasting and that language selection policy influences political, social, and cultural change. (JMF)

Presents a unit on slang to help cultivate in students some positive attitudes toward their language use and to help students respect language differences. (TJ)