The study of minority languages in the People's Republic of China, in the form of organized governmental research since the 1950s, has resulted in the recent publication of more than 50 descriptive grammars. Although some practical purposes of the study were achieved, such as the identification of ethnicity and orthographic design and reform,…

A program currently in use by the military that gives instruction in the so-called "sensitive" languages is based on the "Army Method" which was initiated in military language programs during World War II. Attention to the sensitive language program initiated a review of the programs, especially those conducted by the military intelligence schools…

Discusses the contexts in which classroom data on foreign language acquisition has been collected and the effect that ignoring these contexts has had on the application of foreign language acquisition research to foreign language teaching and learning. A scheme to aid in analyzing the different approaches to linguistic data is presented. (SED)

A panel discusses possible futures for second-language study, instruction, learning, and research, touching upon the need for an interdisciplinary perspective, the teacher-researcher relationship, bilingualism, research dissemination, teacher training, and the need for more information regarding linguistic minorities. (CB)

Describes the first research project in England to focus on the importance of societal bilingualism in the development of education policies. A more comprehensive database on patterns of bilingualism and language learning both in and out of school is suggested in order to facilitate further research on linguistic minorities. (SL)

Supports claim that linguistic and psycholinguistic accounts based on study of English may prove unreliable as guides to sentence processing in even closely related languages such as German and Italian. Results of a test of sentence interpretation indicate that English-speaking Americans rely overwhelmingly on word order, Germans rely on both…

Verbs of motion and location in Irish Sign Language have a characteristic lexicalization pattern, which influences the lexical choices signers make in denoting the motion and location of entities. Perceived characteristics of referents govern the type of verb root selected. Animate and inanimate referents are signified by different types of verb…

This paper presents an introduction to language engineering software, especially for computerized language and text corpora. The focus of the paper is on small and relatively independent pieces of software designed for specific, often low-level language analysis tasks, and on tools in the public domain. Discussion begins with the application of…

Speech recognition is one of five main areas in the field of speech processing. Difficulties in speech recognition include variability in sound within and across speakers, in channel, in background noise, and of speech production. Speech recognition can be used in a variety of situations: to perform query operations and phone call transfers; for…

This paper describes a computerized system for tagging language corpora that accommodates the special conditions in Bulgarian language research (notably, lack of advanced technology and corresponding user knowledge). SUPERLINGUA has been developed in the DOS environment with consideration for these conditions. Information on product use, users,…

This review of literature and discussion focus on the explicit training of second language learners in learning strategies and techniques. The history of learner training--teaching how to learn-in second language instruction is traced from the early 1900s, and its goals (educational, personal, and social) are outlined. Metacognitive strategies…

Describes the structure and functioning of the "Centro de Linguistica Aplicada do Instituto de Idiomas Yazigi" of Sao Paulo and comments on its role in promoting applied linguistics studies in Latin America. Also outlines the Center's historical background and its educational services, particularly those related to the teaching of…

Discusses whether the relationship between field dependence/independence (FD/I) and second-language acquisition is significant. The article contains introductory material defining FD/I within the context of second-language acquisition, a review of relevant research, and a discussion of the research's implications for educators and instructional…

Discusses an interview focusing on important topics relevant to sociolinguistics and language minorities. Points out that one topic, ethnicity, is among many of the urban phenomena central to the study of linguistics as well as ethnic minorities and that a discussion of sociolinguistics and language minorities entails discussion of racism,…

Discusses the conflict between the two camps of second-language learning that exist within the university environment, one emphasizing communicative competence and the other, the importance of exposure to culture and literature. Notes that much research is needed into the role of culture and literature in language learning. (52 references)…