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)…

This article considers how graduate, diploma, and certificate programs in second-language acquisition and didactics, as well as intercultural communication, can help professionalize language instruction and benefit all levels of instruction. (36 references) (Author/CK)

Language questions are increasingly on the agenda in Europe. This paper addresses some problematic aspects of language teaching and learning that have come to the fore in the Baltic states after the European Union enlargement of 2004. First, the paper aims at providing relevant information about language policies in the former USSR and the…

Based on the hypothesis that the low academic achievement of Brazilian children attending government schools was directly related to a discrepancy between the children's working-class dialect and the school's dialect which is closer to upper class speech, a study was undertaken in literacy classes in one private and one public school where the…

Discussions of the communicative approach to language teaching are often confusing because different definitions are ascribed to communicative competence in the teaching context. Its definition as the appropriate use of the sociocultural rules for language use in spontaneous interaction is preferred; this definition makes possible more precise…

Noting that reading development is a crucial factor in breaking down social, intellectual, and political barriers, this paper uses Nigeria as an example of a developing multilingual country in order to examine the problems and challenges that learners and educators in multilingual societies face. The discussion is focused on children at the…

A sociolinguistic investigation of pupil interpretations of the functions of questions and responses was applied to 165 pupils in a multiethnic, lower socioeconomic status elementary school. Procedures involved videotaping of language arts lessons and family conversations. Videotapes were played back to pupils, who were then asked to explain "What…

There are problems in the field of English teaching on at least three levels: research, teacher training, and the students. Research in the teaching of English must be preceded by research in English, language variation, and native language acquisition and by further work in descriptive linguistics. A significant problem in current language…

The approach to the study of black English usage that is based on a theory of linguistic differences between blacks and whites is inadequate, because it ignores the socioeconomic aspects of dialects. It does not resolve the problems that exist in schools for students who use black English regularly. The issue is made more complex since linguistics…

This paper highlights the importance of phonology in second language learning, comparing phonetic mistakes made by adult native speakers of English learning Georgian and adult native speakers of Georgian learning English. It emphasizes the importance of a holistic, systemic approach to teaching second languages that involves making the first…

The focus of this highly quantitative investigation is the analysis of the differences observed, both in methodological approach and in language choice in the classroom, during five years of classroom visitations. The study reflects information collected from two very different institutions with radically distinct populations: a rural setting with…

Examines the teaching of English in Tanzania under four headings: (1) the changing view of language and language syllabus design; (2) the role of sociolinguistic environments in second language learning; (3) the role of objectives in second language teaching; and (4) the emerging trend of documenting second language teachers' classroom practices.…

This study examined transformations in educational discourse in the context of history lessons at a Hungarian secondary school with an English immersion program. It provides a contextualized analysis of classroom discourse practices by examining some of the sociocultural, linguistic, and academic knowledge structures that are integral to and…

This article examines the relationship between ethnic group affiliation (one's sense of belonging to a primary ethnic group) and second-language (L2) pronunciation accuracy defined here as native-like, nonaccented L2 speech or L2 speech that contains no first language (L1) influences. The study addressed these questions: (a) Is there a…

Intended to help the secondary school classroom teacher make use of some of the current research related to reading instruction, this book contains reviews of the literature on the various aspects of secondary school reading. Each of the 12 chapters begins with an introduction to set the stage and ends with a conclusion to put the ideas into…