Examines the methodology used in the teaching of foreign languages in the Anglophone Caribbean. Although the methodology most widely used has been the grammar-translation method, there has been a shift to a more communicative methodology based on a notional-functional approach. The language situation here reflects the social and political…

Discusses a study that was conducted to determine the effects of school affiliation on the level of language competency attained by Spanish 1 students. Competency in all four language skills was measured by a Spanish 1 exam, and the differences between the two groups in attitude toward foreign language learning were examined. (JL)

It is argued that the correct placement of sentential negation with respect to model auxiliaries in Swedish is an example of delayed acquisition resulting from a parametric preference in Universal Grammar. A syntactic analysis is proposed for four recognized stages in the acquisition of negative word order in Swedish. (Contains 41 references.)…

Discusses the role of the Internet in foreign-language instruction from the perspective of a French teacher. Topics include Gopher, subject-oriented Gophers, finding e-mail addresses, Veronica and Archie, Wide Information Area Server, Hytelnet, and Mosaic. For those who are new to the Internet, Gopher is the simplest navigational tool to use as it…

Examines the performance of native speakers of Chinese and of English on a random detection cloze in their native language, and in the case of the Chinese, also in English as a Second Language, for what they reveal about native and nonnative readers' strategies and about reading in the two different languages. (24 references) (Author/CK)

Discusses the dichotomy between traditional expectations of advanced courses and the actual capabilities of many of the present generation of language students. One result of this dichotomy has been the disappearance of medieval and philological studies from the teaching programs of most modern- language degree schemes in the United Kingdom. (CK)

Discussion of second-language learning and the use of computer-assisted language learning (CALL) focuses on a study in an elementary school in Seoul, Korea, that determined ways in which computers can best be used to enhance language learning by evaluating the relative effectiveness of contrasting instructional approaches for designing CALL…

The effects of subtitling during transactional task practice were investigated among fifth-semester college students of French. Results support and advance the knowledge generated by language research on subtitles: subtitles help learners not only to comprehend authentic linguistic input better but also to produce comprehensible communicative…

Examines second-language vocabulary knowledge and acquisition by reviewing research on levels of lexical proficiency and on qualitative differences in the oral and written communication of French immersion students as compared to that of their francophone peers. Argues for improved vocabulary instruction in immersion programs. (MDM)

This critique of an article by B. Kumaravadivelu argues that principles/strategies should not and cannot replace methods; it also takes issue with Kumaravadivelu's claim that his strategic framework is an alternative to, not simply an addition to, method. A reply by Kumaravadivelu is included. (Contains nine references.) (LR)

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…