Describes two special-purposes English programs for Egyptian economists. One consisted of conversation sessions and extensive writing, and the other focused on developing listening and reading. The group that concentrated on listening and reading had greater gains in writing ability than the group that concentrated on speaking and writing. (SED)

Discusses the process of native language learning and explores the relationship between it and second language learning. It is suggested that in a language curriculum, the initial emphasis should be on receptive skills. Accuracy, appropriateness, and fluency in communication are discussed, as well as instructional modes for training in these…

Investigates the role of kanji in second language learners' reading comprehension of Japanese text. Explores how two subgroups of Japanese learners, with Chinese and non-Chinese backgrounds, approach text. (Author/VWL)

Examines a group of English-as-a-Second-Language learners' listening strategies and the tactics that operationalized these strategies. Also conducted an exploratory analysis of two ways these tactics interacted in the processing sequences of two learners. Data were collected and analyzed using a retrospective verbalization procedure based on the…

Presents study constructed to consider what kind of errors of misperception of English pronunciation by Japanese are revealed in dictation. Results show errors of segmental sounds are caused by interference from Japanese. Believes dictation provides means of exact, immediate, and simple key feedback to learner. (Author/BK)

The value of open-ended responses for computer-assisted-language-learning lessons and language tests is asserted. Results from a study in which students' notes and recall protocols of computerized reading passages were scored by both people and computers indicate that computer programs can score reliably with people, and in less time. (45…

Some 226 Hong Kong students in grades 7-9 benefited from a 4-week summer program on reading comprehension, reading speed, and writing development. Results are discussed in the context of the local sociolinguistic environment. (15 references) (Author/LB)

To address theoretical claims for the importance of negotiated interaction to the comprehension of second language (L2) input, different classroom interactional behaviors of L2 learners were compared. Results indicated that direct participation in negotiation was most effective in facilitating comprehension of less-advanced students; however, this…

The aim of the present study was to develop a model for a criterion-referenced mastery reading comprehension test for university English-as-a-foreign-language courses. The research confirmed the hypothesized relationship between learners' needs, reading tasks, course content and their cumulative contribution to the formulation of the criteria of a…

A crucial component of academic lectures is the use of chunks, phrases, and body language, and their role in facilitating understanding. This article examines the function and context of this component in the discourse of academic lectures. (Author/VWL)

Discusses the hypothesis that the difficulty of a multiple-choice comprehension test does not just depend on the difficulty of the text, but rather on the text and the questions. Presents ways to evaluate the difficulty of the text, the questions on it, and the test as a whole. (EKN)

Investigates the extent to which tasks involving processing differences in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) reading result in differences in performance on comprehension. Processing differences were created by the assignment of two tasks--writing a text summary and listing the examples in the text. (Author/VWL)

Chinese engineering students (n=29) scored significantly higher than Chinese English-as-a-second-language students (n=29) on an engineering-English reading test, although 62 percent of the variation in scores was accounted for by general English language proficiency rather than by components specific to engineering English. (Author/CB)

Reviews literature in applied linguistic and reading methodology and outlines a suffix-grammar as it is used in a reading course in Latin. The principles of the grammar are discussed and an example of its application in the reading course is given. (Author/AMH)

"Listening Recall" is a listening comprehension test which discriminates over a wide range of proficiency. Unlike traditional tests, requiring multiple choice responses, it is a listening cloze procedure; a narrative passage accompanied by a written version with deletions. Particularly suited to low proficiency learners, test has high…