Reviews research into the role of gender in computer-mediated communication (CMC) interactions. Criticizes the frequent claim that CMC is free of gender-based inequalities because of the lack of face-to-face cues and emphasizes the important role of social context in providing and limiting opportunities for instructional interactions. (SLD)

Attempts to stimulate research and discussion of the social and affective variables that may impact language development in the adult second language immersion experience, because they may be noticeably different from the social factors at play in primary and secondary school-age learners' experiences. (Author/VWL)

Most previous studies on topic prominence in second language (L2) acquisition have investigated interlanguage from the direction either of topic prominence to subject prominence or subject prominence to subject prominence. The role of topic/subject prominence typology in L2 acquisition cannot be fully explained until additional studies are…

That the contemporary university is exceedingly "user friendly" is beyond any reasonable doubt. While chancellors reaffirm their commitment to inclusiveness sans intellectual boundaries, lowly teaching assistants award gentleperson's C's to functional illiterates. Such odious requirements as foreign language proficiency or familiarity with…

The study investigated native language verbal skills among low and highly proficient bilinguals, using the WISC III verbal subtests. Highly proficient bilinguals showed a superiority for almost all verbal subtests. This finding lends support to Threshold Theory which maintains that bilinguals need to achieve high levels of linguistic proficiency…

Research on the effect of bilingualism on third language acquisition was initially set in the framework of the study of potential differences between monolinguals acquiring a second language and bilinguals learning a third language. However, many authors have already started to concentrate on third language acquisition itself, and have…

A new report finds that all states and the District of Columbia have now ushered in new English-language-proficiency tests to comply with No Child Left Behind Act requirements for those still learning the language. The report, "English Language Proficiency Assessment in the Nation: Current Status and Future Practice," released by the University of…

Enrollments in foreign-language courses at American colleges and universities have jumped 13 percent since 2002, with Arabic and Chinese showing the most-dramatic increases, according to a report released last week by the Modern Language Association. The number of students studying Arabic soared 126.5 percent between 2002 and 2006, while the…

It may seem obvious that students with limited reading skills also have limited educational opportunities. Students acquiring English as their second, non-native language--presently referred to as English Language Learners (ELLs)--face this obstacle. Fortunately, a body of research has emerged that provides specific techniques for supporting and…

This article describes oral language and early literacy skills in Spanish and English for a sample of 319 bilingual children in Massachusetts and Maryland (ECS) and a comparison group of 144 monolingual Spanish-speaking children in Puerto Rico (PRC). Children were assessed as they entered and exited pre-kindergarten programs. Data collection…

This study investigated how the speech act of refusal is realized in Egyptian Arabic by intermediate and advanced American learners of Arabic as a foreign language. It also compared the performance of the learners to that of native speakers of Egyptian Arabic and native speakers of American English. The study aimed to investigate the relationship…

The implementation of English education at the elementary level in Taiwan is still in its early stage. However, researchers and educators in this field have noticed the variation of student English proficiency which increases the difficulty of teaching in today's EFL classes and results in calls for intervention programs. The purpose of this study…

This study examined the writing development of English language learners (ELLs) in a fourth-grade bilingual classroom in Northern California. The purpose of this study was to explore the linguistic and cultural resources the students used to inform their writing and determine to what extent, if any, these resources influenced their writing. The…

This study aims to investigate Jordanian university students' attitudes towards using video and text chat discourse with anonymous native speakers of English to improve their English proficiency. To achieve this aim, a questionnaire was designed. The study sample consisted of 320 university students enrolled in two Jordanian universities. Results…

The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influenced the oral classroom participation of six Korean students attending graduate school in the US, and how these factors impacted their oral interaction in class discussions. Data came from formal and informal interviews and class observations over the course of the semester.…