This paper describes an interactive exchange program used at Eastern Kentucky University that involves face-to-face interaction between international, non-native English speakers and native English speakers in (1) social work classes at the university, (2) a nursing home, (3) an alternative school, and (4) a local high school. In the social work…

This project investigated the possible causes of and solutions to the reticence of many Japanese students attending General English courses at the University of Edinburgh Institute for Applied Language Studies (Scotland). It was suspected that students' reticence affected their rate of learning and personal improvement as well as the general…

This brief report describes the Rosetta Stone Language Library, a set of multimedia second language instructional materials. These materials emphasize comprehension of spoken language as the first step to acquiring fluency, sometimes referred to as the "comprehension approach" or "natural approach." The materials are designed…

The Australian Second Language Proficiency Ratings (ASLPR) is a scale that describes how second language proficiency develops on a scale from zero to native-like proficiency, providing performance descriptions in terms of practical tasks. Initially developed for English second language teaching, it has been adapted for English dialects in…

This manual is designed for the Bemba language training of Peace Corps volunteers and focuses on daily communication needs in that context. They consist of: a list of useful "survival" phrases and vocabulary; a noun and affix chart; the national anthem; a section on verb tenses and negation, with extensive grammar and usage notes; notes…

This teaching manual is designed for the Spanish language training of Peace Corps volunteers serving in Chile, and focuses on daily communication skills needed in that context. It contains 12 topical lessons outlining targeted language and communication competencies, suggested classroom activities, phrase and vocabulary lists, grammar and usage…

This guide is designed for Tagalog language training of Peace Corps workers in the Philippines and reflects daily communication needs in that context. It consists of 21 learning modules to be used in independent study. Each module contains a list of the targeted language competencies and related phrases, a dialogue or text, vocabulary list,…

This practicum was designed to develop an inservice training program for classroom teachers to help them better meet the needs of non-English speaking students, and to help the non-English speaking students acclimate and socialize with other students and to better deal with the problems of a culturally diverse, if not economically diverse…

Nine papers presented at an Irish Association for Applied Linguistics (IRAAL) seminar on research in progress in applied linguistics in Ireland are included in this volume. Papers and authors are as follows: "Nuclear Prominence in Hiberno English: A Preliminary Investigation" (Rosemary O'Halpin); "The Translatability of Nil…

It is suggested that Chinese students in China and Chinese Americans have difficulty learning to read in English due to native language interference and to cultural traits and thinking patterns. Reading in English requires overcoming some psychological barriers. A chart outlines the different ways in which a Chinese student would read the same…

Three papers written by graduate students on educational linguistics are included. These papers represent works in progress by students and professors on topics ranging from speech act analysis and classroom discourse to language planning and second language acquisition. The papers are generally based on research carried out for courses offered in…

In recognition of a need in the Buffalo area, the State University of New York at Buffalo (SUNY-Buffalo) established the Japanese Language and Culture Program for Business People and Students (JLCP) within the university's Center for Critical Languages. JLCP is a 3-year, 6-semester certificate program open to anyone with at least a high school…

A graduate level course offered to foreign medical graduates (FMGs) at Wayne State University in Michigan was developed after a needs assessment indicated the desirability of improving the speaking fluency, pronunciation, and cultural understanding of FMGs. It was found that weaknesses in those areas, which are not assessed in the Test of English…

The Even Start-Padres y Progreso program is a nationally funded program designed to prepare young children to enter school by not only offering early childhood education, but also assisting their families with adult literacy and English as a Second Language (ESL), parenting-skills training, and employment-skills training. An evaluation of the…

A study examined the relationship between the age at which children started second language learning and their achievement by the end on high school. Subjects were 26 native English-speaking private school seniors. Half had begun French language study in grades K-4 (early starters) and half in grades 5-8 (late starters). Language skills were…