American schools have debated the merits of a national canon since the inception of English as a subject a century ago. In earlier years, the mission of the language arts was much more elitist and hierarchical. English was a subject that taught the great works, so that aspiring students could be familiar with the standard pantheon of authors and…

This study examined the cross-cultural differences involved in Chinese and American students' attitudes towards education. Examined were students' daily experiences, wishes, aspirations, likes, and dislikes. Data were obtained through interviews with 396 Chinese and 720 American students from the 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades. Students attended 11…

The purpose of this study was two-fold: (1) to investigate whether, and to what extent, the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) can be applied in Saudi Arabia; and (2) to investigate the effect on BSRI scores of exposure of Saudi Arabians to Western culture. (BW)

This study investigated how educated non-native speakers of English perceive three distinct accents of American English (Eastern; African American; and Southern) and make judgments of the speakers' background, intellect, ability, and character that might affect their employment overseas. Subjects were 53 native speakers of Turkish, (44 females, 13…

Every year, thousands of students worldwide leave home for the purpose of participating in an educational experience in a different country. Israel is one of the many destinations offering study abroad programs. Yet, being a Jewish country and a homeland for the Jewish Diaspora (Jewish communities outside Israel), Israel constitutes a unique study…

Comparison of the attitudes of Japanese and American high school students toward rote learning and more "creative" learning and their performance on rote learning tasks revealed that Japanese students viewed rote learning more positively than Americans and performed significantly better on rote-based second-language word recall and…

A study compared American and international students' views about the usefulness of taking notes during English lecture presentations. Students differed in terms of their estimations of notetaking adequacy, time pressure experienced during listening and notetaking, and amount of notetaking. (Author/CB)

This article examines the controversy over the alleged sexism of "French in Action" (1987, 1994) within the context of key differences between French and American feminist thought. Read within a French cultural context, this text can be more accurately perceived as a postmodernist, feminist critique of Hollywood's heterosexual romance…

A study was undertaken to determine if attitudes toward various regional dialects could be improved by teaching about the range of American English. The subjects were 47 sixth grade students. The experimental group of 21 subjects studied lessons on regional dialects for 55 minutes each day, while the control group of 26 subjects studied…

This study examines the rules used by Chinese students to integrate information, and examines the perceived importance of academic ability, effort, and study skills to students and teachers. Information integration theory indicates that individuals use simple algebraic rules (averaging, adding, or multiplying) to integrate information. Cultural…

A study in which Filipino and American undergraduate students rated college instructor characteristics according to their perceived importance for effective teaching is discussed. Filipino students rated items pertaining to authoritarianism and personal appearance of the instructor as significantly more important for effective teaching than did…

A white college professor in Hawaii explains the political and historical issues surrounding her teaching of ethnic American literature amid the Hawaiian activist movement and racial tensions in a multicultural state. Gives examples of the literature taught and classroom experiences. (KS)

This article presents relevant information about Arab American children as a guide for multicultural teachers. Given the alarming impact of cultural conditioning in American society, the previously invisible Arab Americans and their children have become visible in a negative way. Current cultural conditioning does not allow Arabs to see themselves…

This presentation provides teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) with an outline for a seven-session course entitled "Great American Films," which is designed to teach ESL students about cultural, universal, and personal values through the use of popular American films. The presentation contains: (1) a course syllabus; (2)…

International students in American colleges may have learned an accepted international variety of English, rather than British or American forms. Errors may persist because students want to retain their variety of English and cultural identity. Teachers need to address these errors only if they interfere with communication in the academic context;…