DIALANG is an on-line language assessment system, which contains tests in 14 European languages and is based on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). It is the first major testing system that is oriented towards diagnosing language skills and providing feedback to users rather than certifying their proficiency. This article describes…

Indiana State University?s (ISU) foreign language requirement curriculum serves as a model for the 21st century. Unique to the program is an emphasis on integrating the common goals of general education and multicultural studies with the development of critical thinking skills to reach overall objectives of communicative competency, cultural…

Computer-mediated exchange and interaction have become topics of debate and discussion in the past several years due to the growing interest in synchronous and asynchronous communication and their role in language acquisition, learning, and teaching (Liu, Moore, Graham, & Lee, 2002). This article offers a model for a collaborative course on…

This study examined literacy instruction in 14 first-grade classrooms of English learners (ELS) in three schools in a large urban school district in southern California over a two-year period. Pre- and posttest measures of oral-reading fluency for 186 first graders, representing 11 native languages, were the outcome data. Reading-fluency data were…

A structural equation model of second language (L2; English) reading comprehension was tested on a sample of 135 Spanish-speaking 4th-grade English-language learners (ELLs). The model included 2 levels: decoding and oral language. English decoding measures included alphabetic knowledge and fluency. English oral language measures included…

In this article, the author describes a program of Eastern Cherokee ancestral language restoration in Cherokee, North Carolina. One of the primary goals of the program is to enhance the self-concept of the children and motivate the students to experience academic excitement and success. The use of authentic legends and stories is one method…

Discusses technologies that support computer-assisted language learning (CALL) and how they have changed over the years. Looks at specific trends (i.e., shift from analog to digital), and recommends adapting conventional teaching techniques to incorporate these innovations. (Author/VWL)

The article argues that Norton Peirce's (1995) concept of a language learner's investment should figure centrally in how instructors address the needs of adult learners in ESL classrooms. Investment is discussed in relation to second language acquisition research that addresses the role of social factors in second language acquisition. The article…

Bilingual speakers report experiencing stronger emotions when speaking and hearing their first language compared to their second. Does this occur even when a second language is learned early and becomes the dominant language? Spanish-English bilinguals who had grown up in the USA (early learners) or those who were first exposed to English during…

This article aims at discussing a new statistical trend in research in applied linguistics. This rather new statistical procedure is causal modeling--path analysis. The article demonstrates that causal modeling--path analysis is the best statistical option to use when the effects of a multitude of L2 learners' variables on language achievement are…

Every year, thousands of students worldwide leave home for the purpose of participating in an educational experience in a different country. Israel is one of the many destinations offering study abroad programs. Yet, being a Jewish country and a homeland for the Jewish Diaspora (Jewish communities outside Israel), Israel constitutes a unique study…

Communication in English can be a barrier for second language learners since English serves both as a content subject and also as the means of instruction in classrooms. The issue is compounded when speech-language pathologists (SLPs) provide services to students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) homes who may be suspected of a…

This article focuses on factors that impact identification of and services for English-language learners (ELLs) with suspected language-learning disabilities. These factors include (a) home and school environments, (b) the school's philosophy, (c) instructional strategies, and (d) other contextual variables that affect language use. In addition,…

This paper develops a scalar or quantitative measure of the "distance" between English and a myriad of other (non-native American) languages. This measure is based on the difficulty Americans have learning other languages. The linguistic distance measure is then used in an analysis of the determinants of English language proficiency…

Annually in the People's Republic of China (China) several million secondary school graduates who wish to gain entrance to Chinese universities and colleges take the National Matriculation English Test (NMET)--the university entrance test of English for the entire country. This article first describes the test, and then focuses on examining its…