Classroom communication in the second-language class is examined from an ethnographic perspective, highlighting the role of students in helping each other learn. Turn-taking, patterns of addressing teacher and peers, and different kinds of interaction that promote learning: cooperative; didactic; competitive; theatrical; personalized. (MSE)

The influence on interlocutors' relative content knowledge on conversational participation in interactions between native speakers (NSs) and nonnative speakers (NNSs) with limited oral skills is investigated. Results indicate that both NSs and NNSs appeared conversationally active, but there were different patterns of participation that could to…

Examined the discourse patterns used by a native speaker of English while explaining the rules and playing the board game Monopoly with three college students of varying levels of English proficiency (low nonnative, good nonnative, and native). It found that the "teacher" must modify her speech to enable the nonnative speakers to…

Reviews research on the social interaction and negotiation of second language (L2) learners and their interlocutors. This research illustrates ways in which negotiation contributes to conditions, processes, and outcomes of L2 learning by facilitating learners' comprehension and structural segmentation of L2 input, access to lexical form and…

Attributes comparative policy inattention to linguistically and culturally diverse preschoolers to several causes including widely held personal beliefs, political ideologies, misperceptions about demographics, and academic disciplinary fragmentation. Explores the current state of today's practice and suggests four fundamental issues that must be…

Presents a study of Irish primary and secondary schoolchildren learning Irish as a second language. Discusses intelligence abilities, attainment in Irish, personality traits, and attitude toward learning foreign languages. Concludes personality measures were not strongly related to cognitive measures, but attitude may play a role. Reports no…

A model for assessing communicative ability is presented that is prompted by the fact that most error analysts in the past concentrated on morphemic and syntactic levels. It is suggested that emphasis must shift from acquisition of linguistic competence per se to communicative competence. (23 references) (LB)

In a study of aural skills, this paper investigates the relationship between second-language learners' aural comprehension of fast, spoken English and their exposure to systematic listening instruction and to television and radio broadcasts. Data from 709 university-level Korean students show that systematic listening instruction has a powerful…

This article reports the results of a survey, funded by the American Classical League (ACL) and conducted during 1990-91, that assessed attitudes toward high school foreign-language study, in particular the study of Latin and Greek, in the college admissions process. (21 references) (VWL)

Classroom interaction data from traditional and activity-based English classes of different sizes are compared in terms of opportunities for learners to interact meaningfully. Findings suggest that the nature of the teaching-learning activities and the teacher's role and attitude influence learner participation more than class size. (24…

This case study of an international teaching assistant's experience with college teaching focuses on the process of becoming an effective instructor in the undergraduate classroom. A developmental model that emphasizes clarifying the student's individual linguistic, cultural, social, and professional goals is suggested, and implications for…

Describes a study that was conducted to examine the effects of captioned video material of varying difficulty on intermediate and advanced English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students' comprehension with videotaped episodes presenting low and high audio/video correlation. Captions were found to be more important for low audio/video correlation. (17…

Traces the history of foreign language instruction in Hungary since World War II and discusses the factors which have influenced the inclusion or exclusion of foreign languages in the elementary and secondary school curricula. With the waning of Russian influence, foreign language instruction, particularly English, is becoming increasingly…

A discussion of the Linguistic Coding Deficit Hypothesis presents an overview of the theory; describes five prototypes of second-language learners, each illustrated by a distinct language processing profile; and examines how the ability to identify prototypes can help teachers interpret student difficulties and design instruction to address them.…

The situation at Haifa University, which has received approximately 250 new Russian immigrants each semester for the past 2 years, is discussed in terms of testing and evaluation, student performance, and implications for learning and teaching. Differences between multilingual and monolingual language learning are described. (six references) (LB)