Discusses the Bangalore Project in South India and responds to three articles on it, particularly the one by C. J. Brumfit (ELT, 1984). Argues that more information on teacher and learner performance and more explicit and illustrative evidence of materials and methodology are needed in order to evaluate the project accurately. (SED)

Reviews the theories which assert the necessity for prolonged intensive listening without expectations of production for some time in language teaching. Asserts that comprehension and production are indissoluble partners in the two-way process of communicative interaction and that teacher-directed and dominated classrooms are not interactive…

Attempts to show that audio-visual feedback is more effective in intonation learning than auditory feedback. While practice time did not seem to be a major factor, results showed audio-visual feedback to be more effective than auditory feedback. In addition, feedback modality was shown to influence learning behavior. (SL)

Current colloquial use of the simple past and present perfect shows a tendency of the former to encroach on the semantic field of the latter so that the two may be used in free variation in many contexts. The contexts in which this is not possible are defined, and implications for teaching English as a second language are discussed. (MSE)

Presents a rationale for undertaking the study of language. Views this study as a psychological investigation into how the self forms an identity of itself through its language, rather than how it is formed by its language. Thus, the structure of language is seen as a representational system, allowing a multiplicity of meanings. (SL)

Examines the efficacy of foreign language programs at the elementary school level by looking at three programs--immersion, partial immersion, and foreign language in the elementary school--currently found in 15 schools in the United States. Comparisons are made by measuring achievement in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. (SED)

Presents an outline of the textual and the ethnomethodological approaches to the analysis of discourse processing in second language learning and discusses their major strengths and weaknesses. Looks at the implications for English as a second language research, theory, and practice. Suggests that classroom discourse analysis should be encouraged.…

Discusses approaches and problems in teaching English as a second dialect writing. Also discusses the kinds of clues student writings provide on the students' progress in mastery of standard English. (EKN)

Focuses on several myths and fallacies prevalent in the field of French grammar. The importance of keeping up-to-date with language and grammatical usage is stressed, since the rules of language do change. Thus, the validity of the linguistic content of French grammar books must be questioned, so that any outmoded or invalid concepts can be…

Thirty-two children (grades 1-3) of limited English proficiency participated in creative drama sessions over an eight-week period. Results of the study suggest that drama can be effective in stimulating syntactic growth and that interaction and purposeful communication are important in second-language instruction. (PD)

Presents a variety of social contexts for verbal interaction between adult and child and between children. Discusses the variations in interaction caused by different contexts, as well as features that are consistent across contexts. (HTH)

Discusses focusing, the manner in which speakers center attention on a particular element of discourse, and describes a process model of focusing that specifies what syntactic, semantic, and world knowledge constraints are needed for a hearer to track a speaker's focus in a discourse. (FL)

Examines the narrative story structure of a short American Sign Language narrative using stylistic analysis plus the structure of pausing in the narrative. (FL)

Four children were videotaped playing with their mothers, first in a situation with gestures, and then in a situation without gestures. Results showed that maternal gestures have more of a role in maintaining attention and flow of interaction for young children than they do in providing specific cues to the grammar the child is acquiring. (SL)

Investigates the influence of time pressure and focus of attention on the correct use of two Dutch word order rules in the speech of 32 adult learners of the language. The relation between explicitness of rule knowledge, assessed in an interview, and rule application, elicited in the experiment, is also discussed. (EKN)