Investigated a means for improving listening comprehension through the use of visualization. Performance on a listening comprehension test was significantly better among students who had used the visualization strategies. (Author/VWL)

Reports on a 9-month ethnographic assessment of the Mexican "Rincones de lectura" literacy program as it was implemented in one rural elementary school. Findings are examined to determine the impact of Spanish language literacy materials on the indigenous language, Nahuatl. (Author/VWL)

Examines the position of the mother tongue in the proposed additive bilingual programs in South Africa. Sociolinguistic, cultural, and political factors are examined, language use and attitudes of South Africans to language and education are discussed, and the practical possibilities for the implementation of mother-tongue medium of instruction…

Analyzes four language activities from Korean English textbooks to ascertain how much they conform to the reform principles and the main purpose of the Korean 6th curriculum of English, which is to cultivate communicative competence of Korean students. (Author/VWL)

Examines the major issues relating to the introduction of an assessment of English language proficiency for students prior to graduation from tertiary education. Looks at the ongoing debate relating to the introduction of an exit language test and considers possible alternatives to a formal standardized test for reporting on language proficiency.…

Focuses on mothers of school children living in small isolated communities in arctic Quebec. Patterns of perceived language ability and use in three languages, Inuttitut, English, and French, for both themselves and their children were examined. The pattern of perceived language ability was similar across the three languages. Results are discussed…

Describes a new tendency in negotiations between non-native English speaking negotiators (NNSENs) and compares the observations obtained from these six negotiations with those obtained in previous cross-cultural studies. (Author/VWL)

The research articles in this special issue are authored by scholars who share as their common concern the ways in which technologies can best be used to support the acquisition of additional languages. Taken as a whole, the overall agenda of these studies is to capture what happens when language teachers and learners use technologies as part of…

Recounts the use of a computer-mediated proficiency test in an intensive international teaching assistant workshop. Both traditional raw score analyses and item response theory analyses done on the test data are described in detail. Indicated that the test was not suitable for making exemption and retention decisions with this particular group of…

Compares pre- and post-1997 attitudes to the learning of English in Hong Kong. The study is based on surveys conducted in 1980, 1992, 1995, and 1998, and also on newspaper reports. Data confirm the strong instrumental, career-related motives of the learners, which have been previously reported not only for Chinese learners, but for Asian learners…

Familiarizes test users with issues to consider when employing assessments for screening and admission purposes. Examines the purpose, content, and scoring methods of three English-as-a-Second-Language admissions tests--the Cambridge certificate exams, International English Language Teaching System, and Test of English as a Foreign…

Examines key social factors that shape newcomer schools, describing a variety of schools to illustrate both desirable and undesirable program design features. Contrasting views are explored regarding the likely effects on school achievement of isolating newcomers from other students. The paper presents guidelines for developing or reviewing…

Discusses why, where, and when two-way immersion programs were created; how they are being implemented (student population, program features, teachers, and instructional features); and what effects they are having, noting some of the issues that are emerging as this model gains popularity (e.g., minority languages other than Spanish, preserving…

A study tested keyword captioning, in comparison with full-text captioning and no captioning, in video programs for French second-language instruction, based on the hypothesis that keywords offer less to read. Results indicate keyword captions resulted in greater comprehension than no captions; full-text captions resulted in the greatest…

Provides insight on preparing students to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Specific suggestions include helping teachers to become comfortable with the test's computer-based format and helping students adapt to the test's point of view. (Author/VWL)