This study investigated whether top-down or bottom-up cognitive processing was more important in listening comprehension in large-scale English-as-a-Second-Language tests administered to secondary school students in Hong Kong over a period of seven years. Results suggest that bottom-up processing was more important than top-down processing in…

Discusses how language teacher education has shifted to constructivist, process-oriented theories of learning; the idea that teacher education programs have failed to prepare teachers for the classroom; the importance of teachers' prior experiences; and the concern that teaching be viewed as a profession where teachers have an active role in…

This paper concerns three two-stage experiments the aim of which was to find out whether enactment- and mime-based (E&M) instruction--a key element both of the method known as Total Physical Response and of some less codified instruction at primary level--can be employed in order to help learners: (1) better acquire English manner-of-movement…

A discussion of the Dutch situation looks at how growing immigrant numbers and resulting second language groups have prompted a rethinking of traditional concepts of education. First, ethnic population trends across national boundaries in Western Europe are examined and basic statistics on ethnic minorities in the Netherlands are presented. The…

The methodology reported in this paper argues for a synthesis of various theories and methods. First, a synopsis is given of the pedagogical and linguistic approaches that should underlie a successful attempt to teach the contrast in two verb tenses in Portuguese. Secondly, a contrast unique to Portuguese is examined and a multistage approach for…

A selection of the papers from a symposium on the application of linguistic concepts to teaching composition are contained in this document. The papers and authors are as follows: "Introduction: Coherence, Composition, and Text Linguistics" (Nils Erik Enkvist); "TUAP and the Teaching of Writing in Sweden" (Lennart Bjork): "Discourse-Level…

Research suggests that the learner is the only one who knows, intuitively, the relationship between the objectives of the evaluation and his or her actual knowledge at any given time. Experience shows that students use some form of self-assessment in the normal classroom setting. The University of Ottawa's Centre for Second Language Learning…

Knowledge of linguistics, a systematic understanding of language and languages, is a necessary qualification for language teachers. In language learning, a "mini-language" is constructed before fluency is approached. Interaction in the language is needed, and the teacher, as the partner in the interaction, must be able to work within the narrower…

Considerations for communicative competence instruction in second language courses are largely undefined as to exactly what topics of appropriate behavior or rules of social interaction should be included. Sociolinguistics can provide second language teachers with an abundance of analytical material regarding the underlying cultural implications…

THE NEED TO PROVIDE COLORADO'S MODERN LANGUAGE TEACHERS WITH A STATE INSERVICE PROGRAM TO HELP THEM RELATE LINGUISTIC THEORIES AND FINDINGS TO CLASSROOM TECHNIQUES RESULTED IN THE PUBLICATION OF THIS STUDY GUIDE FOR SPANISH TEACHERS BY THE COLORADO STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. DESIGNED FOR USE BY INDEPENDENT STUDY GROUPS, THE GUIDE STRESSES AN…

THE NEED TO PROVIDE COLORADO MODERN LANGUAGE TEACHERS WITH A STATE INSERVICE PROGRAM TO HELP THEM RELATE LINGUISTIC THEORIES AND FINDINGS TO CLASSROOM TECHNIQUES RESULTED IN THE PUBLICATION OF THIS STUDY GUIDE FOR FRENCH TEACHERS BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. DESIGNED FOR USE BY INDEPENDENT STUDY GROUPS, THE GUIDE STRESSES AN AUDIOLINGUAL…

THE NEED TO PROVIDE COLORADO MODERN LANGUAGE TEACHERS WITH A STATE INSERVICE PROGRAM TO HELP THEM RELATE LINGUISTIC THEORIES AND FINDINGS TO CLASSROOM TECHNIQUES RESULTED IN THE PUBLICATION OF THIS STUDY GUIDE FOR GERMAN TEACHERS BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. DESIGNED FOR USE BY INDEPENDENT STUDY GROUPS, THE GUIDE STRESSES AN AUDIOLINGUAL…

An overview of language concepts suggests applications of linguistics to the teaching of English at all levels of instruction. Traditional grammar, with its emphasis on syntax and written language, is discussed and then compared to generative grammar, with its emphasis on transformational theory. A discussion of usage summarizes the changes in…

Background information on the composition curriculum prepared by the English Curriculum Study Center at the University of Georgia is given in this book. Specific subjects covered include the theoretical basis, objectives, and structure of the curriculum in written composition for grades K-6; the contributions of anthropology, sociology, and…

Classic studies in second language (L2) learning offer little evidence for the validity of the notion of universals in L2 learning. The present study investigates this notion in data collected from 15 observational studies of 40 L2 learners who acquired the L2 naturally, that is, they were not taught the language in any formal ways. Interpretation…