This article discusses an action research project that investigated how a 10-year-old boy with learning disabilities, whose first language was Korean, was supported. His individualized instruction involved labeling items in the room, reading sentences that included priority sight words, practicing with consonant blends and vocabulary words, games,…

A French teacher's journal notes about his experience as a student in an intensive English course in a foreign country are presented. The notes address aspects of the language learning experience, including unfamiliar cultural context, intrusion of the new language into daily thought, resistance, translation, interference, and motivation. (MSE)

Second language learners of English responded to a questionnaire requiring them to identify the antecedent of a reflexive pronoun. Responses were compared to those of a native speaker control group, and first language transfer and recapitulation of first language acquisition were examined. (24 references) (Author/OD)

A study used compressed speech to observe aural processing strategy differences between native English-speakers and high- and medium-level learners of English as a second language. Quantitative and qualitative differences in recall among the three groups were found. (Author/MSE)

Explores aspects of successful foreign language teaching and learning that could be pertinent to the design of school policies; defines the current conception of "communicative competence"; discusses how cultural studies can be related to foreign language instruction; and describes a model policy developed during case studies across various…

Reports on studies focusing on individual attrition of English as a Second Language in an environment where Hebrew is the dominant language. Age, sociolinguistic features, input variables, and linguistic variables are discussed as well as major trends of change in language use that identify a limited reversal of the acquisition process. 29…

Explores what it means to think in a target language, discusses those factors determining planned and unplanned use of more than one language for thinking, considers the role of target-language thinking in improving language ability, and examines mental translation in the reading of intermediate college French. The article concludes that benefits…

Presents general background on the Israeli Circassians and focuses on a study of Circassian pupils in Kfar Kama, the larger of the two Circassian villages in Israel. This study confirms the solid self-identity and firmly entrenched position of the mother tongue among the Circassians of Israel. Additional study is planned. (35 references)…

Examines ways to motivate students who do not want to learn a foreign language. Questionnaires were completed by 191 year 9 pupils and 7 teachers. The responses of the teachers offered simple strategies that could be replicated without great addition to workload or financial outlay. Responses of a disgruntled minority of students are presented.…

Describes Forest Glen Elementary School, a successful K-5 magnet school with an international focus located in suburban Indianapolis. Explains how three components of the curriculum--the foreign-language program, wise use of technology, and child-centered climate--are helping prepare students for tomorrow's world. (TJQ)

Focuses on the need to consider linguistic differences when planning strategies for the school dropout population. Hypermedia, a technology tool for accessing information, provides support for the necessary conditions to be met for language acquisition to take place: providing a concrete task and emphasizing problem solving, critical thinking, and…

Presents various viewpoints on dual language acquisition by children. These include native language foundation, first-language monolinguals' vocabulary development, second-language learning, simultaneous acquisition strategies, television as a source of language learning, functions of language in discourse, analysis of conversation, syntax and…

Studies social interaction between native speakers and second-language learners by examining the native speakers' role ininteraction using data collected with microethnographic methods. Findings indicate that native speakers should be trained to interact with second-language learners and language interaction should be a goal of the class as a…

Reports on a study of adult learners' use of the simple past tense that showed that past tense acquisition occurs in stages determined by the lexical aspects of verbs. The article also describes a pedagogical approach for increasing accurate past tense use through contextualized examples in authentic texts and focused noticing exercises. (Contains…

Describes how a principled ESP approach has been applied to computer-assisted language learning (CALL). A case study illustrates the job-seeking skills package. The needs analysis process is detailed; a synthesis of the language-centered, learning-centered approach to course design is outlined; and the exploitation of an authoring program is…