The Department of Italian Studies at the University of Toronto focuses on language training by relating other components of foreign language study (literature, linguistics, etc.) directly to the language training process. The department features a streaming system (beginner, native-speaker, and matriculant) which places students of linguistically…

Describes a survey of how Italian is taught in South Australian primary classrooms. Teachers in six classrooms were observed and recorded to measure the language used, the amount of time spent speaking Italian and English, the language used by children, and the content of pupils' and teachers' spoken Italian. (SED)

An analysis of long-distance anaphora, a binding phenomenon in which reflexives find their antecedents outside their local domain, is presented, using data from English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Icelandic, and Italian. It is found that no approach deals with long-distance anaphors exclusively and elegantly. The binding domain…

This paper presents an interdisciplinary research project that aims at developing an electronic vocabulary acquisition system for the German and the Italian language called ELDIT (Elektronisches Lern(er)worterbuch Deutsch Italienisch). The approach for studying and practicing the vocabulary. To ensure maximum effectiveness of the learning process,…

The report details results in the fifth year of implementation (1997-97) of a set of French, German, and Italian instructional modules designed for non-foreign-language-majors at the University of Dublin (Ireland). Focus is on the chief developments during that year (further refinement of the curriculum, production of a guide to independent…

The authors stress the importance of using a "science-oriented" syllabus when teaching a second language for specific purposes and identify the linguistic concepts which must be incorporated into such a syllabus. They discuss their experience in teaching Italian for specific Purposes at the National University in Somalia. (CFM)

An approach to language textbooks evaluation based on objective criteria and relying on data easily obtained by means of computers, such as word frequency lists, is proposed. The importance of vocabulary acquisition in language learning is emphasized. Accordingly, word selection and rate of repetition are seen as central evaluation criteria. (MES)

The ethnic press has played a vital role in the assimilation and the social and geographic mobility of immigrant groups. Its coverage of and editorial positions on ethnic relations, "Americanization," news and events occurring in the country of origin, the issue of language retention, and labor and economic concerns have influenced this…

Discusses cross-language, multilingual, and bilingual information retrieval on the Web; evaluates retrieval effectiveness of indexing and search strategies based on test collections from CLEF (Cross-Language Evaluation Forum) in English, French, German, and Italian; and suggests and evaluates database merging strategies. Appendices include…

An historical account of the use of the acute accent mark in written Spanish discusses the effects of Greek, Latin, Italian, and French precursors on the early use of the accent and on its current modern use. (CB)

The culturally marked discursive style in Italian and English public service encounters are contrasted by concentrating on the management of request-compliance and request-noncompliance. Linguistic realization of "evidentiality" (the expression of attitudes toward communicated information and the information source) is analyzed from bookstore…

Illustrates the findings of a survey of reading frequency and attitudes related to extensive reading in English. Finds a negative correlation between the number of years of past English study and reading attitude. Notes that these findings are useful for defining appropriate instructional actions and identifying areas for further research with…

Examines the languages (German, Italian, French) year-10 British students choose to study and shows how each language has fared to provide a basis for comparisons across languages. Also examines the results of interviews with students to determine the motive behind decisions to pursue or drop a language. (five references) (CK)

Using examples in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, the article suggests various activities to promote the learning of descriptive adjectives and to expand students' active vocabulary. These activities include describing oneself or a friend, finding a person who possesses certain characteristics, choosing an ideal companion, and…

Discusses catalog records for non-English books created by European booksellers and loaded into OCLC; describes a study of Italian language monographs to compare vendor records with Library of Congress and OCLC member libraries' records; and considers changes in cataloging workflow needed to edit records to include Library of Congress call numbers…