English has served as a means of communication among speakers of different first languages (i.e. a lingua franca) for many centuries. Yet its present spread and use are so new that English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) in its current global manifestation did not exist as recently as 1946 when this Journal was launched. During the 20 years or so since…

When teachers hear the word "cohesion", they usually think of grammatical cohesion--an aspect of cohesion reasonably well covered in student books and teacher materials. However, occupying an area that straddles both lexis "proper" and cohesion lies "lexical cohesion". In what follows, it is argued that the teaching and learning of certain aspects…

"Process-oriented pedagogy: facilitation, empowerment, or control?" claims that process-oriented pedagogy (POP) represents the methodological perspective of most practising teachers and that outcomes-based education (OBE) poses a real and present danger to stakeholder autonomy. Whereas POP may characterize methodological practices in the inner…

Responds to an article suggesting there were two current forms of English-as-a-Foreign-Language, represented by the academic model and the therapeutic model. The article also proposed an alternative model. This critique takes issue with several points in the earlier article. (Author/VWL)

Excerpts from a discussion among five applied linguistics researchers with an interest in second-language acquisition (SLA) focus on three issues: important recent advances in SLA research, transmission of research findings to teachers, and maintenance of communication between the worlds of theory and practice. (MSE)

Highlights the concept of discourse communities, which are used in applied linguistics to analyze written communication. Discusses how the concept developed. (Author/VWL)

Records an interview with Pit Corder, retired chair of Applied Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh, in which he reflects on the implications for language teaching and learning of recent research into second language acquisition and language transfer, as well as on the status of applied linguistics in the mid-1980's. (Author/SED)

Discusses ways that applied linguistics literature can be used in a multidisciplinary graduate-level English for academic purposes class. Focuses on three main uses: (1) providing students with information about issues in academic and professional writing; (2) helping them make comparisons of form and style with academic articles in their own…

An interview discusses future plans for the Centre of English as an International Language (University of Cambridge, England), the relationship of cognitive science to second language acquisition and to the role of research in applied linguistics in Great Britain, and the relevance of applied linguistics for teachers of English as a Foreign or…

Rod Ellis discusses contribution, past, present, and future, of second-language acquisition (SLA) studies to English language teaching. Considers two primary issues: conditions that facilitate and promote SLA in classroom; and how teachers can create those conditions. Role of grammar in English classroom is discussed, recent research is described,…

Discusses research findings in relation to oral communication tasks in English. The article concludes that, although direct linkage between task type, language output, and language acquisition has not been established, informed pedagogic choices can be made using the concepts of control of information and communication goal. (22 references)…