Previous studies have shown that study abroad has a positive effect on second language (L2) learning outcomes for students who spend at least a semester abroad. It is unclear, however, whether a short-term experience also has a measurable impact on L2 development. The present study examines the relationship between speaking proficiency gains made…

The purpose of this study was to examine Hispanic families' perspectives on using a prepared kit to enhance their preschoolers' vocabulary development at home. Families enrolled in a public prekindergarten program were provided with a bilingual (English/Spanish) home literacy kit that included ways in which to engage their children in activities…

The research reported in this paper addressed the nature of transitions between language genres in school physics. In this qualitative study, quasi-ethnographic methods were employed to understand the culture of one secondary school physics classroom in the USA. One teacher and his physics students were the participants. The teacher was…

This study was conducted to understand student identities of five Japanese children (the second through sixth grade) and the processes of identity negotiation within their sojourning experiences between Japan and the United States. An increasing number of Japanese elementary students internationally sojourn in today's globalized societies, and…

Discusses differences in German and American English pragmatics in the use of routine formulae, e.g., "Hi, how are you," and small talk through the observations of native speakers of German reacting to the verbal behavior of American English speakers in the United States. (14 references) (JL)

A study of syntactic variation in Spanish spoken by native speakers in the United States examined patterns of variation in different areas of the country. High school students in larger Hispanic communities throughout the country were surveyed concerning their own and their parents' demographic characteristics and their Spanish speaking,…