More than 20 groups of commentaries and articles which focus on the needs and interests of the second-language learner are presented in this work. The wide scope of the study ranges from curriculum planning to theoretical aspects of second-language acquisition. Topics covered include: (1) textbook writing, (2) teacher education, (3) career…

Communicative competence can be defined as the ability to function in a truly communicative setting, that is, in a dynamic exchange in which linguistic competence must adapt itself to the total informational input, both linguistic and paralinguistic, of one or more interlocutors. The research described in this book focuses on the development of…

Selected papers presented in this book are: "Changing Concepts of Self-Direction in Learning" (Long); "The Transition from Learner-Control to Autodidaxy: More than Meets the Eye" (Candy); "Self-Directed Learning and the Theory of Adult Education" (Jarvis); "On the Theme and Variations of Self-Directed…

While it is commonly assumed that teaching children is unrelated to teaching at the advanced level, the two kinds of teaching are closely related and mutually effective. The experience of teaching young learners can benefit the instruction of college students of English as a second language. In both cases, providing motivation is a challenge.…

This annotated reading list addresses the problem of the paucity of literature dealing specifically with the relationship between personality and language learning. There is no general theoretical model that encompasses personality theory, self-concept, ego development, learning theory, motivation, and body image as they relate to…

This paper offers an example of how to apply action research to improve English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL)/English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) writing instruction. This research was conducted over a 5-year period while the researcher taught 9 semester-long sections of advanced EFL writing to Taiwanese undergraduates. Using Reid's (1987) Perceptual…

Reports on a multivariate study that examined the contribution of two independent variables--cognitive/academic proficiency in first language and attitudes and motivation toward English as a foreign language--on success in English as a foreign language in culturally different learners. (27 references) (Author/OD)

This paper addresses beginning level Spanish heritage language (SHL) learners' attitudes towards their language and culture. Heritage language (HL) programs and research have often overlooked beginning level learners, especially within university settings. The current study involved 20 participants from a beginning level SHL class in the…

This book contains 40 papers from an international symposium on improving the quality of higher education teaching and learning. Part 1 contains three papers on using research to improve student learning covering some Canadian projects, the use of research on student learning, and ways to evaluate and improve learning. Part 2 contains 10 papers on…

Skills in comprehending the spoken language source are becoming increasingly important due to the audio-visual orientation of our culture. It would seem natural, therefore, to adjust the learning goals and environment accordingly. The video-cassette machine is an ideal means for creating this learning environment and developing the listening…

This study investigated: (1) the causes and effects of Chinese students' beliefs about foreign language learning; (2) mismatches between teachers' and students' beliefs; and (3) how teachers' and students' beliefs compare across cultures. Subjects were 23 Chinese and English teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and 224 EFL university…

Papers on foreign language education include: "Beliefs About Language Learning: A Study of Korean University Students Learning English" (Susan N. Truitt), which looked at the influence of cultural background and experience on language learning attitudes; "Motivation as a Two-Sided Coin: Motivational Differences Between College-Level…

This study examined the relationships among a set of psychosocial variables (academic competence, physical appearance, self-worth, and motivation) and between the psychosocial variables and academic achievement for 236 third grade and fifth grade native Spanish speakers and native English speakers enrolled in a bilingual immersion program since…

Contents of this issue are as follows: "Suggestopedia: The Use of Music and Suggestion in Learning and Hypermnesia:" by Elizabeth Risova Philipov; "A Two Year Evaluation of the Suggestive-Accelerative Learning and Teaching (SALT) Method in Central Iowa Public Schools" by D.H. Schuster and R.A. Prichard; "Improving Lecturer…

This paper discusses the role of customized learning environments in the teaching of English to undergraduate science and technology students and focuses on a more subject-specific and skills-oriented approach in English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It may be argued that multimedia technology and the Web have a vital role to play in integrating…