Investigates expressions of gratitude in Japanese and American English, focusing on the sociocultural factors influencing the deeper level of these expressions. Data are collected through the written answers to the discourse completion test, which has ten different situations designed to elicit a variety of expressions of gratitude from the…

Investigates writing skills in English (the second language) and Arabic (the native language) to see whether there is an association between poor writing across languages. Data were collected from 150 students who wrote on the same topic in English and Arabic. Confirms that poor writing in English correlates with similar deficiencies in Arabic.…

Examines the importance of English language teachers' knowledge about language, and their insights into the relationship between such knowledge and their classroom practice. With reference to grammar, data is presented from classroom observations and interviews with teachers. (Author/VWL)

This article provides one English language teacher's reflections on how to bring her teaching closer to her beliefs about old writing pedagogy within the present institutional framework. Different aspects of writing, such as audience, purpose, time pressure, and feedback are inspected, and their implications for the classroom are explored.…

Data are presented on the development of tests of reading skill for primary school pupils in rural Tanzania. Instruction in these schools is in Kiswahili, a regularly spelled language. Three graded tests were developed to test children who had only some letter knowledge, could read single words, or were proficient readers. The tests correlated…

Discusses opportunities for English-as-a-Second/Foreign-language professionals in corporate universities. Discusses how a corporate training program differs from other programs, the different teaching issues in this new environment, the focus on oral English, and the importance of achieving high linguistic levels in one or two class meetings a…

Highlights the learner test-writing process, in which pupils write their own tests. The process consists of a number of steps, including reviewing the material learned, writing the questions, taking the test, and going over the graded test. (Author/VWL)

Discusses alternative assessment in light of the New English Curriculum, considers why teachers and students in Israel may be reluctant to use alternative assessment, and provides a summary of different types of alternative assessment used at an Israeli high school. (Author/VWL)

Examines the uses of CMC in English-as-a-Second-Language teacher education through examples of Web-based bulletin board discussion. Qualitative and quantitative analysis revealed differences in the structure of participation from the perspective of initiation, response, and evaluation moves as well as different levels of participation by the…

Examines issues related to time, timing, and timetabling to discuss how the timetable can be constructed to support the development of English language proficiency in a 3-year plan leading to university entrance for academically competent English-as-a-Second-Language learners, using a semester system. (Author/VWL)

Examines a number of adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) grammar textbooks via an author-designed checklist to analyze how well they incorporate the findings from research in communicative language teaching (CLT) and in form-focused instruction (FFI). Concludes that although a few textbooks incorporate some of the research findings of CLT and…

Describes a curriculum design approach, "the ill-structured problem," based on real life situations, that was used for a summer gifted foreign language program for fifth- and sixth-grade students in the Chesapeake Public Schools, Virginia. Elements of problem-based learning are described, including the problem comes first, the problem is…

Presents information on the importance and the difficulties of setting up networked multimedia environments for language education, and discusses some possible solutions for the strategic transition to this new instructional format. Reasons for adopting multimedia networking, some applications, and specific answers to some technological problems…

An immigrant's experience illustrates the support systems that foster self-confidence and facilitate the acquisition of communicative skills in a new language and culture. The article examines relationships among language and power, mentor and students, and impotence and empowerment in the context of learning to function effectively in U.S.…

Examines evidence from foreign student learner diaries to identify factors inherent in moving to another country and culture. Explores how these may affect students' language learning and suggests ways in which teachers and course designers need to take account of them. (Author/VWL)