This comparison of 15 successful and 15 unsuccessful college foreign-language learners found significant intergroup differences in performance on the Modern Language Aptitude Test, tests of written and oral language in the syntactic and phonological domains, and math calculation. Results suggest that students with foreign language learning…

Investigates numerous individual difference measures to determine their underlying dimensions, to contrast their predictive validities and to evaluate their contributions in a causal model of second language acquisition. Findings indicate that substantial links exist among affective measures and achievement. (56 references) (Author/CK)

A study examined beliefs about language learning held by students of Arabic and Swahili in six African studies programs. A survey administered to 134 students gathered demographic information and student attitudes about 47 statements concerning language learning strategies, ability, usefulness, and skill difficulty, multilingualism, and reasons…

Investigates the effectiveness of two types of computer feedback: one is traditional computer feedback that indicates only missing or unexpected words in the learner's response, and the other is intelligent computer feedback that provides further information about the nature of the errors in the form of metalinguistic rules. (17 references)…

Adult listeners have the ability to identify spoken samples of a language that they do not know and to discriminate among languages. In order to accomplish these tasks, listeners attend to rhythm, pitch excursions, and segmental properties of language samples. That is, they create simple representations of phonology. This study examined the…

Compares English-as-a-Foreign-Language students beliefs about language learning, using responses to the Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) to identify similarities and differences across cultural groups. Examination of individual BALLI responses did not yield clear-cut cultural differences in beliefs. (Author/VWL)

A study examined variability in learner progress through a pre-university intensive English-as-a-Second-Language program as it relates to 36 language learning background variables (e.g., formal English training and exposure, motivation, etc.) and four entry-level proficiency variables. Subjects were 201 Indiana University students. Success was…

The major purpose of this study was to explore, in a phenomenological tradition, factors that lead some students to persist in foreign language study past the usual 2 years in high school. Factors that have been prevalent in the literature include language aptitude, motivation, grades, intellectual and cultural curiosity, language learning…

Two years of language study is a requirement in most colleges and universities for many degree programs and, at the high school level, an expectation for college-bound students. However, some very capable students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) have difficulty learning a second language. Recent research has identified characteristics of…

A study investigated the beliefs about second language learning among nine students of English as a Second Language (all female), and their teacher at Queen Arwa University (Yemen). The survey instrument consisted of five demographic statements and 47 statements concerning language learning in a Likert-type scaled response format. Results indicate…

Immigrant and refugee students at the University of California, Berkeley, were surveyed in spring 1980 to assess their needs. Of the 311 mailed questionnaires, 208 responses were received. The data were analyzed by language group, class level, and immigrant/refugee status. The major areas of difficulty for these students were the large amount of…

This study explores the nature of language anxiety from the perspective of five Japanese learners of English (ESL), especially in reference to their self-reflective accounts of emotional difficulties encountered in the U.S. college settings. Through the use of an in-depth qualitative interview format, this study attempts to identify potential…