Conducted a series of experiments in German, Dutch, French, Italian, and English to show that four factors systematically interact when people interpret spatial expressions: the reference object being intrinsically oriented or not; the preposition that is used; the social characteristics of the discourse situation; and the prepositional inventory…

In five experiments highly-proficient bilinguals were asked to name two sets of pictures in their L2: a) pictures whose names in the L2 and their corresponding L1 translations have the same grammatical gender value, and b) pictures whose names in the L2 and their corresponding L1 translations have different gender values. In Experiments 1, 2, and…

A discussion of university-level FL instruction in Canada. (RM)

Deals with 13th and 14th century distribution of [s] and [z] retracted or apical sibilants in the languages of Western and Central Europe. Based on philological evidence and on dialect evidence of today, the presence of various sibilants is determined. (SC)

Discusses a study designed to identify reasons for growing dissatisfaction with the dictionary among foreign-language students. Subjects were Italian university students of French who were asked how often they used the dictionary, how they used it, what they expected from it, and why they were dissatisfied with it. (CFM)

A systematic approach for introducing new teaching techniques into the second language classroom is suggested, an exemplary form for recording information on specific techniques is presented, and 10 concrete proposals for implementing innovative techniques are offered, with examples from 4 languages. (55 references) (Author/MSE)

Incompleteness of competence--lack of command of certain second-language (L2) aspects--and divergence--interlanguage representations of L2 properties different from native representations--are distinct states of grammatical competence, as seen in French and English speakers of Italian (L2). Discussion argues that competence differences reflect…

Mnemonic devices summarize and simplify grammar rules, especially when applied to the verb forms found in Romance languages. The article presents two mnemonic devices helpful in summarizing the uses of two verb tenses. These include coining a word to illustrate a rule and projecting irregular verb forms on a Mexican "sombrero." (four references)…

A study of 15 fathers and their 16 sons in an italophone community in Montreal (Canada) focused on the usage of Italian, French, and English in communication between generations and in a variety of activities. Data were drawn from 45 hours of taped conversation in home and work settings, which included 4,848 instances of language contact. Of the…

An examination of some surface differences between quantifier phrases (QP) in standard Italian, Genoese dialect, and French is reported. The analysis makes specific reference to the distribution of empty noun phrase and adjectival phrase categories in SpecN, and uses the concept of inflectional rules. Although details have not yet been worked out,…

The articles on culture in the Northeast Conference Report are intended especially for those teaching French, German, Italian, or Spanish. Generally they provide an update in the target language about current concerns including the family, education, economics, politics, and other matters of interest to second language learners. The following…

This report is based on a questionnaire survey directed in spring and fall 1977 to all state foreign language supervisors. In those cases where state totals were not available, questionnaires were sent directly to various school districts. An analysis of the compiled figures showed that in fall 1976, the public secondary schools (PSS) in the 7-12…

Prefaced by a brief discussion of early films and film criticism, 10 essays treat selected modern directors and their works. Essays on Stanley Kubrick's "Lolita," the early works of Elia Kazan, and the response of French critics to Jerry Lewis explore the American scene, while Francois Truffaut's "Jules and Jim," the early work of Robert Bressen,…

This article lists the doctoral degrees in foreign languages granted during the academic year 1977-78 by major field. Within each field institutions are listed alphabetically, and within each institution the candidates' names appear. The title of each thesis is followed by the thesis director's name. (CFM)