Describes a University of Ottawa program involving a French-language stream to train future physicians for the francophone minority population of Ontario. Francophone students conduct interviews in French in a communication skills laboratory while being observed by clinicians trained in observation and feedback techniques. Simulated patients play…

Highlights a diary study implemented with English language teaching (ELT) students during their practicum. Aimed to obtain feedback on the preservice ELT courses and the practicum by understanding students' attitudes toward various aspects of teaching. Also aimed to give students an opportunity for self exploration and reflection on professional…

Investigated distance students' participation in an online discussion group established for an applied linguistic course titled Computer Assisted language Learning. Discusses patterns of student-student interaction and students' attitudes toward online discussions as a way of earning CALL as well as toward computer mediated communication as a…

Discusses the paradox involved in constructing a language policy: language is invoked as a reified object associated with essentialist constructs of identity to stand for much more complex and changing patterns of language use. Considers this paradox from the perspective of a campaign led by Sikh parents to have Punjabi introduced into curriculum…

Reports on a community-based teacher education project in which preservice English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers developed language curricula for a Latino community in the United States. Shows how many of the issues that characterize language in development work in poor countries also affect ESL instruction in the United States and other…

Examines how students in a second language classroom deploy linguistic and cultural resources to both resist and appropriate aspects of the teachers' voices. A key episode is analyzed to show the nuances of students' ventriloquation of diverse voices to construct a complex social order and shifting strategic identities. (Author/VWL)

Reports on the development of a self-rating instrument for writing. The instrument engages learners in responding to a writing task and assessing their own proficiency against a set of benchmarks. Provides a description of the self-rating procedure, an account of instrument development, a report on a usability study with six learners of Finnish as…

Advanced-level college students of Spanish experienced U.S. Hispanic cultures through participation in a community-based experiential course with a service earning option. Results of a quantitative study indicate that subjects enrolled in the course formed positive and accepting attitudes toward Spanish speakers and their cultures and found a…

Looks at new information technologies and highlights how Japanese students use of the World Wide Web often lacks an appreciation of the quality differences that exist between traditional and net-sourced research. Argues academic writing courses need to address this issue and calls for "a more critical mindset" among those using the Web…

Presents strategies used in the International Engineering Program at the University of Rhode Island for incorporating technical German in first year classes. Outlines the language functions that can be developed in this way, gives concrete examples of the materials used, and provides specific suggestions for coordinating these materials with a…

Examines the effectiveness of asynchronous electronic discussion assignments in university-level language courses. An exploration of syllabus issues provides some insights. (Author/VWL)

Discusses two easy-to-use authoring systems--"Potatoes" and "MALTED"--for designing Web-based language instruction. Provides a check list of advice for would-be authors of language learning programs. (Author/VWL)

Presents standards for assessing language-learning software and Web sites in three different contexts: (1) teachers considering whether and how to integrate computer-mediated materials into their instruction; (2) specialists writing reviews of software or Web sites for professional journals; and (3) college administrators evaluating the quality of…

Presents the results of an investigation into the value of using drama in a Brazilian university classroom. Drawing on research on the advantages of using drama in language learning, the importance of reflection for promoting meaningful learning, and the effectiveness of portfolios as a tool to promote reflection, presents a case study of the use…

This study was conducted in the context of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) research to conceptually validate the roles of breadth and depth of vocabulary knowledge in reading comprehension in academic settings and to empirically evaluate a test measuring three elements of the depth dimension of vocabulary knowledge, including,…