Abstract: To the Editor.— The article entitled "The Dominance of Scientific English" by Robertson and Robertson 1 is of interest. The plea for a single scientific English may be a good one, but each "language" developed by a process more complicated than a simple "split," as is generally the case, and languages once "split" scarcely ever reunite. The one standard scientific English will never be a reality. In fact, the problem may be how long the standard American English will remain "standard." It is being observed in our American educational system that fewer and fewer people learn to read at an advanced level. Many reasons are given, but rarely or never discussed is the simple fact that people throughout history have generally had a hankering for reading their spoken language and an aversion for reading foreign languages, including dialects that are not their spoken dialect. As painful as it may be

Abstract: and over again, despite the fact that they have studied certain rules of grammar.1 Fortunately or unfortunately, the problem of recurring errors is not peculiar to the teaching of German. The question remains, therefore, what measures teacher and student can take to ameliorate the situation. How can students be brought to show an appreciable decline in errors from one essay to the next, or at least from course beginning to course end? Numerous suggestions have been advanced by foreign language methodologists, educational psychologists, and applied linguists as to how writing skills might best be developed. While many seem worthy of implementation, few offer data to support their claims of efficacy. For example, in Cooper's excellent article on the effects of sentence-combining techniques, he admits that no data were available to indicate whether positive correlations existed between the successful "hastened development of syntactic maturity" and grammatical accuracy (i.e., correctness of expression, excluding lexical errors).2 What suggestions have professionals in the field advanced to develop writing skills so that student errors decrease as their writing skill matures? A perusal of the professional literature leads to the conclusion that the following represent components of an effective strategy for the development of writing skills-at least for most modern foreign languages taught in this country. Comprehensive Error Correction. While selective correction of errors is certainly defensible in the development of speaking skills, the same cannot be said where writing skills are concerned. Unless all errors are identified, the faulty linguistic structures, rather than the correct ones, may become ingrained in the student's interlanguage system. Thompson's pragmatic position on error correction is difficult to rebut: "The student does not improve his skill if his work is not corrected."3

Abstract: PART ONE: THE MASTERY LEARNING PROCESS. 1. The History and Development of Mastery Learning. 2. Outlining Learning Goals and Objectives. 3. Formative Assessment. 4. Feedback, Correctives, and Enrichment. 5. Summative Examinations and Assessments. 6. Applying Mastery Learning. 7. Evaluating Mastery Learning. 8. Onward and Upward. PART TWO: EXAMPLES OF MATERIALS FOR IMPLEMENTING MASTERY LEARNING. 10. Elementary Language Arts. 11. Goal Setting. 12. Middle School Algebra. 13. High School Language Arts. 14. High School Foreign Language: Spanish, Level I. References. Name Index. Subject Index.

Abstract: This is an outline of a sociolinguistic field of study which is being explored in a current research project. It may appear strange at first sight that a foreigner has initiated fieldwork with respect to this subject, but Japanese scholars have so far not paid attention to societal problems implicated in commercials. The present contribution cannot even be a summary of all the languagerelated aspects of this field because a variety of different subjects have already been specified which need further investigation. The most comprehensive overview of this field so far has been presented in the volume by Haarmann (1984a), concentrating on the role of Romance languages in Japanese mass media. When discussing problems related to stereotyping and prestige it is necessary to take the relationship between language and ethnicity (ethnic identity) into consideration. Many experts in the field regard paternity (descent), patrimony (distinctive cultural pattern), and phenomenology (self-identification) as the basic elements of ethnicity. Fishman (1977: 16) distinguishes two aspects in connection with problems of evaluation: 'Ethnicity is rightly understood as an aspect of a collectivity's self-recognition as well as an aspect of its recognition in the eyes of outsiders'. In connection with the question of so-called 'multiple identities' I have tried to include a further component of ethnicity and that is the categorization of others (cf. Haarmann 1983: 32). Views an ethnic group has of other groups are also an essential element of their self-awareness as a community distinct from others. Thus, the image Japanese have of other peoples (Koreans, Americans, Germans, etc.) is a reflection of Japanese identity, as is their pride in their culture and language. When speaking about ethnocultural stereotypes — a term which will be used in this contribution as equivalent to 'stereotyping image of a foreign culture' — in Japanese society one speaks about certain traits of Japanese ethnicity. Someone who analyzes ethnocultural stereotypes in Japanese society gets to know a great deal about the Japanese, their mentality, and their way of thinking. As language is involved, the research also concentrates

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the role of personality variables in second language acquisition and then to integrate such variables into an adapted version of Gardner's socio-educational model which was tested using LISREL causal modeling. A total of 88 first-year university students of French were assessed on measures of language aptitude, attitudes, motivation, French achievement, self-perceptions of proficiency in French, and personality traits. The latent variables in the model included Language Aptitude, Self-Confidence with the second language, Integrativeness, Attitude towards the Learning Situation, Motivation, Situational Anxiety, and two personality constructs labelled Analytic Orientation and Seriousness. The final model is discussed in light of previous models of second language acquisition.

Abstract: The study deals with three investigations concerning the acquisition of a third language in bilingual immigrant students. The most extensive investigation, initiated by the National Swedish Board of Education, included the whole grade‐8 population of immigrant students in Sweden (n = 2,736). They were compared with Swedish monolingual students at that level (n = 67,162) in their proficiency in English as measured by standardised tests. The results provide evidence that immigrant students who always use Swedish at home but have passive knowledge of their first or home language clearly perform better in English than Swedish monolingual students. However, those immigrant students who actively use their home language daily have slightly lower test results in English than Swedish students. Another important factor in learning a third language is the similarity between the mother tongue and the language to be learned. In line with these findings are the results of two experimental studies from Germany ...

Abstract: vated some scholars to confront the comprehension issue through linguistic analyses.2 The present paper seeks to contribute to the comprehension literature in foreign language research and pedagogy by broadening the discussion to include contemporary theory on the comprehension process in L1 reading research and psychology.3 The paper examines, first, beliefs, materials, and classroom behaviors which have been under recent discussion.

Abstract: Essays discuss seminars, tutoring, lectures, school structure, and the teaching of English, math, science, history, social studies, foreign languages, and art.

Abstract: Good lecture comprehension involves the interaction of the following skills: 1) the ability to synthesize discourse in order to extract relevant information, 2) the ability to predict future information, and 3) the ability to relate background knowledge to new information. Many non-native English-speaking students, who are competent listeners in their native languages, are not aware of the conventions and cues which signal important information in lectures delivered in a foreign language. This article will demonstrate how transcripts of academic lectures and pseudo-cloze exercises developed from these transcripts may be used to help foreign students to become aware of the skills involved in the process of listening to lectures. By making cues and conventions salient, these exercises give students confidence in their ability to listen selectively without attending to every word. The article begins with a discussion of several theories of discourse processing and follows with relevant examples of analyzed lecture discourse and suggested exercises for non-native speakers.

Abstract: A national survey conducted in November-December 1983, similar to one in 1973, investigated attitudes toward, competence in, and use of Irish among adults in Ireland. Of the 1,131 individuals interviewed, all aged 18 or over, about 420 were under age 30. The report summarizes preliminary results. The first section reports general attitudes toward Irish as an ethnic symbol, Irish usage and instruction in the schools, use of Irish in interpersonal interactions, attitudes toward the Gaeltacht (areas in Ireland where Irish is the primary language), and beliefs about the viability of the language and its relevance in modern life. In the second section, respondents' evaluations of their own ability to speak Irish, and that of other family members, are summarized. The third section presents data on respondents' use of Irish in conversation, in writing, at home, at work, and in watching television. Section four reports on attitudes toward Irish language policies, including anticipated feelings if Gaeltacht disappears, priorities for Irish language policy, the school program preferred for most children, support for Irish entrance requirements for postsecondary education, and views of policies concerning Irish in the media, public administration, and support for voluntary language groups. The final section presents statements from the 1973 survey, followed by a summary of findings of the 1983 survey. (MSE) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ***********************************************************************

Abstract: Foreign language lessons often provide translations into a foreign language of phrases students would normally use in their native language and cultural setting. Particularly when studying a non-Western language, such direct translation is very misleading. Students must instead learn the conventions that guide human interactions, so they know both what to say and how to say it. In this text, therefore, the sociological context of Javanese is explained as thoroughly as Javanese grammar. The book presents Javanese in its full complexity and range in order to illustrate a cultural appoach to a non-Western language; it will therefore be of interest not only to language learners, but to linguists, sociologists, anthropologists, and many others.

Abstract: This article surveys the literature regarding the use of behavioral objectives in education and in foreign language instruction in particular. It examines the roots of the behavioral objectives movement in both behaviorist psychology and in the scientific management movement of the 1920s. The justifications for the use of behavioral objectives are outlined, as are the most widespread reactions to and criticisms of them. Implications for foreign language learning and ESL/EFL are discussed, and suggestions for further research are presented.

Abstract: : This report examines language and area competencies, research, campus-based and national organizations, and library and information resources It concludes that the combined federal and private resources invested over several decades have created an immensely valuable national resource in language and area studies, one unrivaled anywhere in the world The period growth and expansion, however, has come to an end Important parts of this national resource have are in clear danger of serious decline Furthermore, vital gaps exist in both the research and teaching components of language and area studies programs Present funding mechanism are inflexible and inadequate Capacities, now missing, to monitor the cross-sectional nature of the field and to allocate resources in ways better suited to the nation's needs for language and area expertise are required The report recommends some new programs and modifications of existing ones in those government agencies and private organizations most interested in thesse areas It calls for relatively small but carefully targeted investments

Abstract: firm that the goal of the language classroom should be communicative competence in the foreign language. Textbook writers, methodologists, and innovative teachers have expended considerable time and effort in developing instructional techniques to supplement traditional classroom drills in order to guide the foreign language student in attempts to use the language for communicative purposes. Yet, many teachers and language educators have paid only passing attention to evaluating communicative competence in the classroom. Traditional language tests remain firmly entrenched in the professional consciousness and are still mechanically administered in the classroom with little or no consideration of their

Abstract: One hundred major corporations, selected through a systematic random sampling technique, were surveyed to identify current practices in international business correspondence. A questionnaire was constructed to determine the foreign countries with which American companies correspond, the languages used in international business letters, the techniques used in translating foreign languages, the differences in letter formats and writing styles, and the communication skills needed by business people who correspond with foreign companies. In addition, samples offoreign business letters received and sent by these firms were analyzed to verify questionnaire responses and to determine technical differences between foreign correspondence received and sent. Sixty-six percent of the questionnaires were returned. Sixty-eight letters were analyzed.Information elicited from the questionnaires was grouped into the following three categories: language, writing style, and skills needed by foreign correspondents. Letter sa...

Abstract: With some imagination, songs can be used to teach all aspects of foreign language. The language teacvgar can take advantage of the cultural content of songs by playing holiday music during the appropriate season; explaining the traditions and history of songs; discussing songs with cultural flavor; presenting a variety of music types; and discussing instruments, harmony, and composition. For use in teaching listening comprehension, songs can be viewed as a type of exaggerated speech, and exercises can be developed for listening practice, including having students fill in the blanks of the text as they listen, write down all words they recognize as they listen, and reconstruct the theme. Activities for highlighting the linguistic aspects of song include using a song that reinforces recently learned grammatical structures or vocabulary; using a song with regionalisms, dialect, or slang; and comparing English and target language translations. Songs have potential for literary analysis, including analysis of rhyme, vocabulary, meter, and constructions; investigation of a particular author or composer; comparison with formal literature; and analysis of literary devices. Communicative activities involving songs include creating a survey based on a song's theme, student descriptions of the action in a song, and discussion of the author's intent or feelings. Finally, a substantial benefit of using songs is that they provide variety in the class routine and are enjoyable and relaxing. (MSE) *********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * 4;* from the original document. * ***********************************************************************