Examines evidence offered to support the idea of a sensitive period for second language acquisition. Findings indicate that there is insufficient evidence to accept the claim that mastery of a second language is determined wholly, or even primarily, by maturational factors. (34 references) (Author/CK)

Analyzes teacher-fronted and pair interaction involving two learners of Japanese as a second language in an intermediate class. Shows learner-learner collaborative activity between these students of differing levels of proficiency that results in creative interaction that creates a positive learning environment. (57 references) (Author/CK)

Describes why the Oakland School Board proposed to apply African Language Systems principles to move students closer to English proficiencies. The board's objective--to raise the language skills of African-American students--was interpreted as a proposal to teach substandard English and was used to validate racist dialog. The public furor ignored…

In a small Mexican town with a sizeable English-speaking population and bilingual schools, some native Spanish speakers develop native-like proficiency in English. Interviews found that the only Spanish speakers acquiring much English attended bilingual schools and frequently had close friendships with native English speakers and favorable…

Presents an analysis of the responses German college students of English gave on a questionnaire regarding their attitudes toward and use of English grammars. Results found that several factors affected students' attitudes, and suggestions were made on how to improve the design of future grammars and on how to instruct students in the use of…

Explains the need for and operations of computerized instructional and drill programs for teaching beginning college-level Russian. Describes two such programs developed at the University of Minnesota. States that these programs provide individualized, out-of-class instruction and teach preproficiency semantic and morphological skills without…

Reports on a study designed to investigate the second language development of francophone children in an experimental intensive English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) program in Quebec. Results indicated that subjects outperformed students in regular ESL programs on listening and reading comprehension tests and in oral fluency and had more positive…

Compared teachers' holistic scoring of Nigerian English-as-a-Second-Language students' essays and their scores on a standardized language proficiency test. Results revealed that holistic scoring of essays lacked concurrent validity with the subject pool. (32 references) (CB)

The linguistic performance of four Hispanic bilingual fifth- and sixth-grade students perceived to have limited language abilities in English and Spanish was studied. Results indicate that the organization of instruction limited students' abilities to show their competence and that teachers interpreted this as a lack of conceptual ability. (SLD)

A study investigated communication strategies used to express lexical meaning in English by two groups (intermediate and advanced) of Spanish-speaking adult learners of English-as-a-Second-Language. Both structured and unstructured tasks were used to assess interlanguage development vis-a-vis proficiency, and results indicated that the…

The following are the basic theories concerning the teaching of English to African-American students: (1) the laissez-faire approach (noninterference with the language of the student); (2) the bidialectical approach (teaching English as if it were a foreign language); and (3) the eradicationalist approach (teaching standard English, emphasizing…

Describes the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages oral proficiency interview and its applications as a measure of French language competence in Canada. Suggests that, as a curriculum-free, criterion-referenced assessment, this test could provide a common national yardstick for both student achievement and teacher qualification.…

Discusses issues concerning foreign language teaching (FLT) policy in the European Community with special focus on The Netherlands, under the headings: (1) needs; (2) provision; (3) objectives; (4) methodology; and (5) the role of adult education and commercial interests. (LMO)

Presents findings from case studies of adult Canadians who successfully maintained the French second-language skills they first learned at school. Results suggested that higher initial proficiency and amount of second-language use were both positively related to the level of retained proficiency. Subjects were virtually unanimous on seeing regular…

Examined the ability of 72 Polish university students of English to respond appropriately to the formulaic greeting "How are you (doing) (today)?" Found that nearly half of these advanced language students failed to perceive the formulaic nature of the question. (MDM)