This article reports results of a corpus-based evaluation of 14 syntactic complexity measures as objective indices of college-level English as a second language (ESL) writers' language development. I analyzed large-scale ESL writing data from the Written English Corpus of Chinese Learners (Wen, Wang, & Liang, 2005) using a computational system…

This research examined how students in foundation English classes perceive their Thai and native-speaking teachers. The researchers surveyed students at five universities and compared a group of 600 students studying with native-speaking teachers with another group of 600 students studying with Thai teachers in order to investigate three areas:…

This study examines the relationships among the three essential language-related components--motivation, confidence, and ability--following a series of live videoconference interactions between Taiwanese EFL students and a native speaker. 227 students enrolled in the five advanced conversation classes at a private technical university in central…

Describes an immersion program for native Spanish-speaking university students from the University of California, Los Angeles, that was created to help them fulfill the language requirement. Reasons for the program, student characteristics, language characteristics, expected goals and outcomes of the program, and program observations are provided.…

This study investigates raters' identification of errors in the writing of an EFL student. Drawing on data collected from a correction task and a questionnaire, we examine the beliefs and practices of three distinct groups of 16 participants in each: native English speaking EFL teachers, Japanese speaking EFL teachers and educated native English…

A study of the structure of the speech act known as an apology looked at the differences in linguistic strategies used by advanced nonnative English language learners and native speakers in apology behavior, and whether the differences result from the severity of the offense or the familiarity of the interlocutors. An apology is seen as consisting…

A study investigated different cultural perceptions of the appropriateness of advice-giving in native speakers of English (NSs) and non-native speakers (NNSs). Using a questionnaire, 172 NNS college students and 31 NS college students were administered a questionnaire in which 16 everyday situations involving either social superiors or peers were…

The purpose of this study was to: (1) describe differences in performance by non-native learners of English, when writing in different genres; (2) determine communicative value of grammatical errors as judged by a panel of native speakers; and (3) demonstrate inconsistencies in native speaker judgment of error gravity. Subjects were 20…

This study investigated the testing of speaking vocabulary in English as a Second Language (ESL) at a university in Hawaii. A Speaking Vocabulary Test (SVT) was developed and piloted with college students. Test-takers (n=37) were divided into three groups: native English-speaking freshmen and sophomores; non-native English-speaking freshmen,…

This study analyzed verbal responses of status unequals in situations where a linguistic mistake occurred. Subjects were 80 native Turkish-speaking university students (28 males, 52 females) who participated in role-playing exercises using such situations. Two aspects of the responses were investigated: the semantic and syntactic formulas that…

A study investigated the perceptions of college students from three different cultural groups in English composition courses concerning writing and effective writing instruction. Subjects were native speakers of American English, natives of South Korea, and natives of Mexico. Data were collected through classroom observation and in systematic…