Two major questions are discussed concerning early language immersion: (1) Is it necessarily the best way to acquire a second language permanently and naturally? and (2) Does it provide a genuinely enriching experience for a young child? The author urges caution in interpreting research and consideration of other paths to biculturalism. (PP)

Examines the idea of a mismatch between grammaticality and acceptability. Evidence is used to refute the claim that ungrammatical but acceptable sentences are theoretically plausible in the case of the sentence, "A not unhappy person entered the room." (AMH)

Discusses the ways languages of Europe render the "given"-"new" distinction on the basis of data collected by means of presenting speakers of various languages with the task of reconstructing a route on a map. The article raises questions about the nature of "wh"-pronouns in English and about what is shared by these…

Evaluates methods used by New Zealand researchers on language maintenance and shift among ethnic minorities to collect data on community languages. Points out that there are many communities in that country whose patterns of language use are mostly unknown. Makes a case for the social, cultural, and educational benefits of research on community…

Looks at policies of linguistic expansion worldwide, particularly English in the colonial and post-colonial periods. Considers whether English expansion in continental Europe represents a threat or blessing. Considers ambiguities in English being promoted as a language serving international purposes and simultaneously British and American…

A study analyzed repetition in the discourse of students of Spanish as a second language working on a writing assignment in collaborative dyads (n=5). Results show the sociocultural and mental activity was mediated by repetition of both first- and second-language utterances, whose effect was to create and maintain a shared perspective of the task…

Investigation of the monitoring behavior of Turkish children speaking Dutch as a second language found that subjects' use repairs increased or decreased with a certain age. A positive relationship was found between monitoring use and subjects' cognitive skills and second language proficiency. (27 references) (Author/CB)

Evaluates the writing of Hispanic students in bilingual and submersion programs, comparing it with the writing of native English speakers in regular programs. Five dependent variables are evaluated: rhetorical effectiveness, overall quality of writing, productivity, syntactic maturity, and error frequency. (46 references) (Author/OD)

Outlines an application of theoretical understandings of institutionalized or nativized varieties of English to the practical concern of English-as-a-Second-Language programs, including testing, placement, and pedagogy. (29 references) (Author/OD)

Supports the theory of language policy formulation in a "conflict" paradigm (involving value, resources, and power) with a case example of the development of Ontario's Native language policy. Research and theory were applied to policy formulation when there was significant consensus regarding both societal and educational goals. (CB)

A review of the research on Canadian immersion programs supports two notions regarding second language learning: (1) older learners may have as much learning success as younger learners, and in a shorter time period; and (2) integration of content teaching and language teaching is paramount in effective second language instruction. (29 references)…

Reports on two studies designed to prove three hypotheses: (1) five-year-olds can successfully learn a second language (L2); (2) early L2 learning has a positive effect on the development of children's cognitive and first language linguistic abilities; and (3) early L2 learning assists socio-economically disadvantaged children in overcoming…

Questions the plausibility of the unitary competence hypothesis, which assumes a universal structure of second language competence. New evidence, showing divergent structures in language ability subgroups and different influences of teaching styles on different language components, better supports a multidimensional model of foreign language…

Overviews differences regarding goals and approaches for foreign language (FL) education and identifies obstacles to consensus. The author situates the different discourse communities interested in FL education, and the contexts providing the "raison d'etre" for these differences. Two responses to this overview and the author's reaction to them…

Studies the acquisition of timing control by Australians enrolled in first-year Japanese. Instrumental techniques are used to observe segment duration and pitch patterns in the speech production of learners and native speakers. Results indicate the learners can control timing, but their phonetic realization differs from that of native speakers.…