Abstract: Of the many variables affecting foreign language learning, the learner's first language is of especially great importance. The recent emphasis on language learning processes rather than linguistic products has given a new slant to what was earlier known as transfer studies. This book is concerned with the foreign language learner's underlying processes. It is based on data from Finland showing the differences between Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking Finns learning English. These two groups are close to each other culturally and educationally, though they are linguistically quite different. The results of the study reveal clear differences between learning a foreign language that is related and a language that is unrelated to the learner's first language. The basic importance of perceived similarities between the first language and the target language is stressed. The book analyses the different ways in which the learner's knowledge of the first language and other languages affect the processes of comprehension and production. A concluding section of the book sums up the relevance of its findings for foreign language teaching.

Abstract: PrefaceThe present volume began as a synthesis of class notes for an introductory course in testing offered to graduate students of Teaching English as a Second/ Foreign Language. Chapters one through seven formed the point of departure for a one-semester course, supplemented with popular tests, articles on current testing techniques, and student projects in item writing and item and test analysis. To address the advent of important new developments in measurement theory and practice, the work was expanded to include introductory information on item response theory, item banking, computer adaptive testing, and program evaluation. These current developments form the basis of the later material in the book, chapters eight through ten, and round out the volume to be a more complete guide to language test development, evaluation, and research.The text is designed to meet the needs of teachers and teachers-in-training who are preparing to develop tests, maintain testing programs, or conduct research in the field of language pedagogy. In addition, many of the ideas presented here will generalize to a wider audience and a greater variety of applications. The reader should realize that, while few assumptions are made about prior exposure to measurement theory, the book progresses rapidly. The novice is cautioned against beginning in the middle of the text without comprehension of material presented in the earlier chapters. Familiarity with the rudiments of statistical concepts such as correlation, regression, frequency distributions, and hypothesis testing will be useful in several chapters treating statistical concepts. A working knowledge of elementary algebra is essential. Some rather technical material is introduced in the book, but bear in mind that mastery of these concepts and techniques is not required to become an effective practitioner in the field. Let each reader concentrate on those individually challenging matters that will be useful to him or her in application. While basic principles in measurement theory are discussed, this is essentially a "how-to" book, with focus on practical application.This volume will be helpful for students, practitioners, and researchers. The exercises at the end of each chapter are meant to reinforce the concepts and techniques presented in the text. Answers to these exercises at the back of the book provide additional support for students. A glossary of technical terms is also provided. Instructors using this text will probably want to supplement it with sample tests, publications on current issues in testing, and computer printouts from existing test analysis software. These supplementary materials, readily available, will enhance the concrete, practical foundation of this text.

Abstract: The study reported in this article assessed the effects of two small-group cooperative techniques (Discussion Group; Student Teams and Achievement Divisions) and the whole-class method on academic achievement in EFL for 665 pupils in 33 seventhgrade classes. The students were taught by 18 teachers (assigned at random to one of the three methods), who participated in training workshops followed up by in-class coaching. Evaluation of pupils' achievement was conducted by observation and by special achievement tests administered before and after the experiment. Particularly noteworthy are the findings revealing that both group methods registered significantly greater improvement than the whole-class method on the total score of the test and on the listening comprehension scale. These findings support the link between the communicative approach to foreign language instruction and cooperative learning in small groups. The study demonstrates how to forge a link between the content and the process of instruction.

Abstract: (1987). Communicative language teaching. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 26, Teaching Foreign Languages, pp. 235-242.

Abstract: (2012). The English Language and Social Change in South Africa. English Academy Review: Vol. 29, No. sup1, pp. 49-64.

Abstract: The present study investigates the interaction of syntax, semantics, and pragmatics from the perspective of functional constraints on sentence processing. The functionalist model of Bates and Mac-Whinney (1981a, 1987) is taken as a basis for investigating subjects' reactions to sentences in which word order, topic, and animacy are varied. Subjects were native speakers of Italian, a language which is sensitive to semantics for interpretation and English, a language which is sensitive to syntax for interpretation (Bates, McNew, MacWhinney, Devescovi, & Smith, 1982). The two native speaker groups were further subdivided in terms of second versus foreign language learners. This study focusses on the question of how learners move from one organizational system to another. It is argued that the ways in which L2 learners are able to determine the strength of dominant factors provides insights not only into the processes involved in L2 acquisition but also into the relative strength of components crosslinguistically and the strength of boundaries between linguistic and extra-linguistic information. The results suggest that in moving from a semantic-dominant language to a syntactic-dominant one, learners first become aware of the importance of the concept of word order in a second language before being able to determine the specifics of word order in that language. On the other hand, moving in the other direction (from syntactic to semantic dominance) seems to come about with greater ease. To account for these results, a prototype model of acquisition is introduced. Finally, differences between second language and foreign language-learning environments are discussed.

Abstract: all authored position papers calling for a renewed interest in and a revitalized perspective on foreign language learning in the United States. Yet these agencies have not addressed, in any depth, issues concerning the teaching of foreign language as they relate to teachers of foreign languages. Granted, many of these commissions have recommended that foreign language teachers be given opportunities for professional development through overseas experiences or through additional courses. The commissions have not, however, addressed the preprofessional development of these teachers. Specifically, they have failed to address the types of educational experience both in terms of language and pedagogical content--these individuals receive as part of their teacher education programs. THE PROBLEM

Abstract: the notion that numerous spinoff benefits accrue from their courses. For example, students develop a better understanding of English grammar; they add to their store of abstract vocabulary items; and they improve their reading and writing skills. We also maintain that foreign language study is a good way for students to improve their scores on the verbal sections of standardized exams such as the Scho-

Abstract: The teaching of a foreign language to any individual necessarily involves the bringing together of two languages and two cultures: the student's native language and culture—the base—and the language and culture being studied—the target. When these are in marked contrast, many special instructional challenges emerge. Students are confronted with totally unfamiliar linguistic patterns and cultural concepts, which require analysis that will be meaningful specifically to them. In the foreign language classroom, serious attention must be paid to the learners and their particular mind-set, through which they will inevitably filter the target language. A recommended approach to this pedagogical challenge is the use of a team of professionally trained instructors that includes targetnatives who, as authentic models of the target, actively and with linguistic sophistication, interact with the students in the target language—the act component—and base-natives, who concentrate on the analysis of the target—the fact ...

Abstract: Many students who repeatedly fail foreign language requirements, in spite of intensive tutoring, high academic potential, and motivation, are being referred to programs for learning disabled university students. Guidelines for diagnosing a disability in learning a foreign language, however, are not available. This research presents a method for identifying predictors of success in learning a foreign language at the university level and compares the performance of students identified as learning disabled on these predictors. The scores of regular students enrolled in introductory foreign language classes on the Modern Language Aptitude Test were compared with their foreign language course performance. The fourth and fifth subtests predicted a relationship to learning a foreign language. In addition, university learning disabled students exhibited significantly lower performance on all five of the Modern Language Aptitude subtests. The results of this study suggest that the information provided by the Moder...

Abstract: Foreign Language Requirement Each program determines what, if any, knowledge of a foreign language or languages should be required of students pursuing graduate degrees. Proficiency in a foreign language may be demonstrated by (1) passing a written examination administered by the department or program or (2) successfully completing a course in the language at whatever level is specified by the program. With the support of the program and the approval of the graduate dean, students may receive credit for foreign language examinations or course work completed not more than four years before being admitted to graduate study at UCR.

Abstract: A program of partial (half-day) French immersion in the Cincinnati Public Schools was evaluated in the kindergarten year. The English and French language development of participating native English-speaking children from both working and middle class backgrounds was assessed. The results indicated, firstly, that the pupils who spent half of their academic time in a foreign language (French) progressed just as well in English as carefully matched control pupils who followed a conventional all-English program. Secondly, it was found that socioeconomically underprivileged children (both black and white) benefited from an immersion-type introduction to a foreign language as much as pupils from middle class homes did. The degree of progress made in French was not linked with the social class background of the pupils even though this background factor clearly affected the students' performance on the English language tests. These results suggest that the immersion experience may help to diminish the effects of social class background.

Abstract: For various reasons, some college-level students experience great difficulty in fulfilling their foreign language requirement. This paper reports on a new program at Boston University which 1) identifies students with severe language learning problems, and 2) offers an alternative sequence of courses designed to help these students achieve foreign language learning success. MLAT pre- and post-test scores indicate significant increases in language aptitude after completion of the first semester of the new course sequence.

Abstract: present aspects of these groups' culture appropriately. The impetus for our work is that cultural awareness has unquestionably assumed a very important role in the teaching of foreign languages. A number of articles and books on how to teach culture (Kramsch; Lafayette; Morain; Seelye; Wilkens) and present cultural materials in textbooks (Cowles; Garcia, 1980; Joiner) have been published. As Levno and Pfister (p. 48), among others, have stated, "there is an urgent need for an evaluation of the cultural content in the foreign language textbooks used in the universities today." We are particularly interested in studying this issue as it pertains to United States Hispanic ethnic groups, the second largest minority in this country.

Abstract: English language teaching has always been affected by the political system. This article discusses the English Language Amendment (ELA), a proposed constitutional amendment before Congress which states that English should be made the "official" language of the United States. A brief historical background is provided, followed by a discussion of arguments for and against the ELA. The motives behind the ELA are examined, and an assessment of how the bill affects ESL professionals is outlined. The goals of the article are to alert readers to the dangers of the ELA, to counter arguments made by its supporters, and to urge opposition to the Amendment. A language is more than a grammatical or communicative system. It is a symbolic system laden with emotional attachments that can arouse the deepest passions. Such feelings about a language are not only individual in nature; often they develop collectively into a group ideology and as such can affect the language policy of a country. Composed of a mixture of historical facts, mythology, and half-truths, the ideology often becomes a rationale either for existing language policy decisions or for efforts to create new policy directions. This article is a study of one such case: the English Language Amendment (ELA) currently before the U.S. Congress. The attempt by the proponents of this constitutional amendment to make English the "official" language of the United States has engendered bitter debate between the supporters and detractors of the concept and has spawned a series of similar proposals for making English the official language in various states and municipalities, the most recent instance occurring in California with the passage of Proposition 63.

Abstract: appropriateness and even the meaning of a proficiency orientation in second/foreign language (SL) teaching suggest the need for a critical look at some concepts inherent in the notion of proficiency, particularly as it has been explicated in conjunction with the ACTFL/ETS Provisional Proficiency Guidelines.1 Although proficiency achieved prominence as the conceptual framework for measuring a learner's speaking abilities, current interest centers on applications of knowledge gained from oral proficiency testing to curricular sequencing and syllabus design, to the development of materials, to methodologies, and to classroom procedures.2 The following discussion addresses the issue of implications and applications of proficiency under two rubrics: 1) it relates the construct of proficiency as well as the procedure for assessing oral proficiency to prominent concerns of second language acquisition (SLA) research by identifying some underlying assumptions about language and language use, and, by extension, judgments about that use; 2) it extends the notion of a connection between proficiency testing and SLA research by suggesting that the assessment procedure can become a source of data for future SLA research, potentially clarifying a number of outstanding issues.

Abstract: Program planners of new elementary school foreign language immersion programs have similar concerns and questions. These generally relate to understanding what an immersion program is, how it is organized and administered, what the effects of the program on student achievement will be, how immersion programs are staffed, and what instructional materials are available. The purpose of this article is to address twenty of the most frequently asked questions about immersion.