Suggests that the fears of language purists regarding the French language are based on the myths of the purity of the French language and the inextricable link between language and thought are excessive and unfounded. Considers linguistic change as a sign of vitality. (Author/VWL)

Describes the Lozanov Method and recommends it as a source of renewal for the language teacher. (AM)

An essential task in foreign language teaching is to develop students' abilities to look at other cultures by confronting them with themes in the foreign culture that are strange or exotic to them, inviting them to interpret what they see and leading them through a process of clarifying, correcting, and adjusting their initial hypotheses. (MSE)

Analyzes the psychological factors relevant to the acquisition of a second language and the behavior theories that have had the most dramatic impact on teaching methodology. Advocates a broader use of television in language instruction as a means of clarifying meanings through a visual context tailored to certain pedagogical requirements. (MES)

Challenges the hypothesis that different linguistic codes are specifically related to different social groups, observing that children's language usage shows qualitative differences determined by the situations they face rather than by their sociocultural background. Supports this observation with an analysis of children's attempts to explain the…

There is a tendency for students studying a French lesson to lose the positive effects gained during the listening and speaking phase when they read the "Lecture" sections of their texts. A study of six beginning level French texts shows that the "Lecture" is difficult for students and not systematically graduated in difficulty. (PJM)

Beginning geometry students misunderstand the requirements of formal proof because of confusion between deductive reasoning and argumentation. Presented is a cognitive analysis of deductive organization versus argumentative organization of reasoning and the applications of this analysis to learning. Implications of a study analyzing students'…

Discusses issues involved in the design of science television programs for preadolescents. The program goals and format of a series in French under production in Montreal are described; program qualities are examined at the emotional level and the cognitive level; and topics are suggested for further research. (33 references) (LRW)

Gabonese students who speak French as a second language and are educated through French, learn English using textbooks designed for students in France. Article discusses pedagogical issues, goals that Gabonese students have in learning English, and the linguistic and sociolinguistic context in which learning of English takes place. Materials used…

This paper explores what is meant by "thinking" in a target language. Factors that determine both unplanned and planned use of more than one language for thinking are discussed, and empirical data from a mini-survey and from personal language learning and language using experiences are presented. The role of target-language thinking in improving…

Defends the full transfer/full access (FT/FA) model, which hypothesizes that the initial state of second-language (L2) acquisition is the final state of L1 acquisition (full transfer) and failure to assign a representation to input data will force subsequent restructuring. The article considers two other competing hypotheses as well as several…