The relationship between mathematics performance and fundamental linguistic variations in the cognitive representation of numbers was assessed, using 24 first graders each from the United States and Japan. Results indicate that the Japanese cognitive representation of number positively affects the understanding of place value. No gender…

The theory and practice of assistance to speech communities whose native languages are threatened are examined. The discussion focuses on why most efforts to reverse language shift are unsuccessful or even harmful, diagnosing difficulties and prescribing alternatives based on a combination of ethnolinguistic, sociocultural, and econotechnical…

A research project concerned with the development of English as a school subject in the Norwegian elementary and junior high school identifies and describes British and American influences on the theoretical climate of foreign language teaching in Western Europe from the 1950's to the 1970's. A distinct British influence, the so-called Palmer,…

A study investigated beliefs about language learning held by two groups of students studying Arabic: 41 students in conventional classroom language instruction at the University of Wisconsin in 1992 and 1993, and 27 in an immersion program at the Yemen Language Center (Yemen). The survey instrument consisted of 47 statements in a Likert-type scale…

This discussion of bilingual education in the United States begins with a review of the historical and political context in which it has evolved since the late 1800s. Policy issues and some research are examined here. It then outlines the theoretical and conceptual debate, focusing on four major theoretical frameworks used to justify bilingual…

This volume seeks to examine the potential for building relationships among foreign language, bilingual, and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs with the goal of fostering bilingualism. Part one of the volume examines the sociopolitical contexts for language partnerships, includes the following articles: "Language Planning and Policy…

Distinct regional patterns emerged in a comparison of letters of recommendation from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Eastern Europe. Both quantitative (linearity, symmetry, data integration, advance organizers, sentence types) and qualitative (content) analyses revealed differences, including organizational patterns and methods of…

Chronicles English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) tutorial between a woman from Niger, whose first languages are French and Fulani, and her teacher, a native speaker of English. Highlights teaching issues, including identifying most useful focus for ESL instruction, gap between what teachers mean and students apprehend, and cross-cultural differences…

The last 25 years have witnessed an explosion of research at the intersection of typical language development and child language disorders. A pioneer in bringing these fields of study together is Robin S. Chapman, Emerita, University of Wisconsin. This contributed volume honors her with chapters written by former students and colleagues, who track…

The linguistic purposes of this research were to focus on content, themes and topics, and to analyze the way the target language (English) was used in e-mail. Communicativeness and the roles of the communicator (writer-reader) became central, emphasizing the multidirectional character of e-mail communication. The basic tenet of communicativeness…

The language problem of emigrant children has two major aspects: (1) concern for mother tongue maintenance; and (2) concern that the children are not learning the second language, which is the official language of the host country. The first is primarily the concern of the family, whereas the second is the concern of the entire community. Massive…

Articles on speech acts and intercultural communication include: "Investigating the Production of Speech Act Sets" (Andrew Cohen); "Non-Native Refusals: A Methodological Perspective" (Noel Houck, Susan M. Gass); "Natural Speech Act Data versus Written Questionnaire Data: How Data Collection Method Affects Speech Act…

Discusses the relationship between research, theory, and policy in language policy formulation in the context of a "conflict" paradigm. In bilingual programs in the United States and Canada, the sociological context of the debate plays a major role in determining the choice of issues to investigate. (CB)

A discussion of French immersion education in Canada begins with a general examination of language immersion, including the historical context and social climate from which the immersion approach has grown in Canada, its beginnings in Quebec and spread throughout Canada, and the status of the approach in the United States, a number of European…

A comparison of the salient characteristics of Canadian and United States bilingual education programs suggests various settings where it would be desirable to introduce children to schooling in their home language. These settings include: (1) the various ethnic communities in the United States, (2) multilingual developing countries, (3) parts of…