This article addresses a number of common confusions that characterize much of the debate about the status of American Sign Language (ASL) as a foreign language option. The article begins with a broad overview of the nature and characteristics of different kinds of signing as they are used in the deaf culture and between the deaf and hearing…

This highly technical, data-rich paper examines how the Many-Facet Rasch Measurement Model can be applied to communicative language test data analyses and how beneficial the model is to language teachers. The results for a 20-item conversational response test and a 15-item sociolinguistic test of oral communication ability in English for 30…

This annotated bibliography provides a summary of relevant and contemporary resources available in the ARIS Resource collection related to English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) or second language literacy. The summaries have been broadly classified to enable readers to locate their immediate area of interest. "Background Readings on Second…

This book examines the experiences of four Mexican children in American middle schools struggling to learn English. It discusses policy and instructional dilemmas surrounding English language education for immigrant children. Using analysis of the children's oral and written language and examination of their classrooms, schools, and communities,…

This brief paper (a 9-page copy of remarks delivered at the panel) was presented as part of a panel on identifying the factors that impede the academic success of English language learners. It is a descriptive study of the students at a large public high school (2,300 students with an English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) population of 50) in central…

This thesis investigated the effects of adding the learning of American Sign Language (ASL) signs (as part of the Applied Behavior Analysis) on the negative behaviors of seven developmentally disabled children (aged 8-13 years). The children were measured on the following: overall disruptive behavior; aggressive behavior; tantrums; and the use of…

The central research question of this study is whether first-time scores for repeat limited-English-proficient (LEP) test-takers of Basic Standards Tests (BSTs), also known as "graduation exams," predict a passing score on the test the second time around. Three points are cautiously asserted: (1) 20% or fewer of LEP students who retook…

The main purpose of this study is to determine whether a class addressing language learner passivity in conversations with native speakers will lead students to take a more active role. The thesis aims to determine if earlier research by Long and Holmen showing that language learners are passive in conversation with native speakers of English. It…

This study compared the writing evaluations performed by native English speakers and native Japanese speakers who teach writing in English as a foreign language (EFL) in Japan. Subjects were 32 Japanese and 32 native English-speaking EFL instructors, divided into 2 mixed groups of equal size and proportion. One group evaluated an authentic…

This paper examines the importance of political and sociocultural factors in foreign language education, focusing on English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learning in Lebanon. It begins with a historical review of foreign language education in Lebanon, then discusses the current role and status of English in the Lebanese context, which reveals…

This guide describes step-by-step the decisions necessary for designing a curriculum for learning world languages. There are eight chapters in four parts. Part 1, "Creating Curriculum," includes: (1) "Introduction to Wisconsin's Standards for Learning World Languages" (e.g., the vision of Wisconsin's standards); (2)…

This study explored bilingual education in California, analyzing California law on instruction for English Learners before and after Proposition 227. Proposition 227 required that all English Learners (EL) participate in a sheltered English immersion program in which most instruction was in English with curriculum and presentation designed for…

This presentation describes how to use reading to improve second language acquisition. Part 1, "Building Awareness of Reading Habits and Attitudes," has students report their habits and attitudes about reading in English and their native language and recognize the importance of reading for improving English skills. Part 2, "Choosing a Book," has…

The wealth of information available on the Web affords teachers and learners access to language learning resources like never before. Online journals, listservs, newspapers, and magazines provide authentic material for language learners, while teachers can find lesson plans and ideas, exercises, assessment tools, and other materials for use in…

This paper examines classroom interaction between native and non-native instructors and heritage language (HL) students in regular university foreign language (FL) courses, ranging from beginning to advanced levels. After an overview of FL teaching and HL students in U.S. universities, the paper deals with three areas within classroom interaction:…