Describes an introspective study of four advanced learners of German under conditions of initial extensive exposure to the second language community. It is suggested that introspective techniques can profitably be employed with the advanced learner. (49 references) (CB)

Describes the development of an interactive videodisc package designed to give Japanese-speaking business students extensive exposure to, and practice with, spoken English in realistic situations. Package activities stress a non-coercive, user-centered, low anxiety approach that encourages language learning through exploration and experience…

A college faculty member points out that allowing students to write and perform their own foreign language plays improves listening, speaking, and writing skills and exposes the students to new idiomatic expressions and conversational patterns used in contextually relevant and culturally specific situations. (Author/CB)

Study of the use of a Portuguese speaking test to evaluate placement and gains in oral proficiency during a six-week summer study abroad program indicated that the test results augmented existing information for appropriate placement and had limited ability to measure language gains made during the summer study program. (11 references) (CB)

Comparison of the effects of error- versus message-oriented written feedback on second-language students' essays found that error corrections and rule reminders did not significantly improve students' written accuracy or enhance the ideational quality of their writing, whereas message-related comments promoted writing proficiency. (63 references)…

Describes a course that uses translation of literary French into English to heighten students' awareness of the two languages and of literary composition. (AM)

A survey-interview exercise is described as it evolved through English-as-a-second-language students' efforts to develop better spoken language skills. The exercise provided students with experience in using spoken English in interaction, learning first-hand about local ideas and attitudes, and reflecting on and discussing the experience in the…

Explores the few studies that compare the psycholinguistic processes characterizing second language acquisition in the classroom and native-speaking environments. A description of a study that found that, although intermediate Spanish students extensively monitored language usage in both environments, their monitored knowledge was still quite…

Courses in business Italian have an important place in the traditional foreign language curriculum because they expose students to broader cultural areas in which they can exercise their foreign language skills. Guidelines for course development and some classroom activities are described. (CB)

This paper discusses the central theoretical aspects of the "Languaging in the Content Areas" (LICA) thesis, intended to provide postelementary reading with a sense of definition and purpose compatible with contemporary needs and conditions. The objective of the LICA thesis is not merely to teach students how to read critically what has been…

Describes the participation of five Pennsylvania colleges in a summer study program at the Akademie Neiderberg in Bonn, West Germany. The program offers an integrated approach to language instruction and cultural studies that is tailored to fit the specific needs and preparation of its participants. (CB)

Two learning activities employing pair work, or cooperative learning between two students studying the other's native language as a second language, are described. The activities allow students to compare how their languages function in real-life situations and to acquire the second language appropriate to these situations. (CB)

A longitudinal study of four West German university students during their six-month stay at a university in Great Britain found that their oral English-as-a-Second-Language performance improved under initial exposure to the English-speaking community, with the motor for linguistic performance appearing to be learner experimentation in production.…

Compared the writing skills of psychology students enrolled in a sheltered content-area English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) writing course with those of ESL psychology students enrolled in a course with more traditional instruction. Both groups gained in language proficiency; however, the findings suggest that focussed reading rather than actual…

An anthropological study of the American Deaf Culture points out that its members do not merely constitute a subculture and that study of American Sign Language, like many other foreign languages, offers knowledge of not only a natural language but also the culture in which it is used. (CB)