This paper discusses recent research on second-language learning and argues that "prior knowledge" does not necessarily constitute the basis of comprehension in second-language learning, that "comprehended input" does not have to be "learner-controlled," and that "input" and "intake" are not necessarily two fundamentally different phenomena.…

This paper discusses the validity and utility of contrastive analysis for language teaching, focusing on the utility of contrastive analysis over error analysis in analyzing adverbial positioning in sentences produced by two groups of native speakers of English and Arabic. Contains 13 references. (MDM)

This study examined interactive and traditional teaching methods in beginning-level French-as-a-Foreign-Language classes, focusing on the repetition behavior of learners. Contains 11 references. (MDM)

This study compared tone choice in parallel readings of scripted dialog by 12 speakers of British English and 12 learners of English from Korea, Greece, and Indonesia. It found that the nonnative speakers failed to use rising tones for socially integrative purposes in the way observed in the data from native speakers. Contains 27 references. (MDM)

This article considers the pragmatic and pedagogic issues involved in trainee teachers' choice of direct and indirect classroom management directives, and presents an analysis of three English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teacher trainees' classroom management requests. It recommends the use of more direct forms by ESL teacher trainees. Contains 25…

This article compares three models of morphological storage and processing: (1) the dual-processing model of Pinker, Marcus and others; (2) the connectionist model of Marchman, Plunkett, Seidenberg, and others; and (3) the network model of Bybee and Langacker. Type frequency of a morphological pattern is shown to be important in determining…

This paper investigated the relationship of syntactic structure with prosodic and phonological information, focusing on distinctions between early and late closure sentences in terms both of intonational phrasing and of stress placement on stress shift items such as "Hong Kong." Contains 63 references. (MDM)

This study compared the production of complex syntax by 16 older adults diagnosed with probable Alzheimer's disease and 25 age-matched control subjects. It found that although individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease did not produce frank lexical or grammatical errors, they did find it difficult to access the "best fit" between meaning and…

Describes a computer-based intelligent tutoring system for French as a Second Language, called FrenchWriter, which is built on an object-orientated, unification-based natural language processor. Examples are provided of how this hypertext software interacts with students and of what sort of grammatical phenomena it is capable of handling.…

Evaluated the effectiveness of using a hypertext/hypermedia environment for the teaching of second language Spanish vocabulary in a semantic mapping format among 48 high school students who had never studied Spanish. Results found no significant difference between semantic mapping and traditional word listing approaches to vocabulary development.…

Describes an answer analysis system, called Answer Pattern Manager, that solves the difficult problem of recognizing student reproduction of spoken Japanese sentences. It allows all reasonable Roman spellings of Japanese words, while at the same time detecting mishearings and distinguishing between important and unimportant words. (Contains eight…

Argues that the theoretical consensus on second language learning, which focuses on instruction in the target language, contradicts the main premises used by bilingual education advocates to gain respectability for bilingual education programs. The roles of translation, transfer, input, and interaction in the Eastman model of bilingual education,…

Critiques the effectiveness of transitional bilingual education (TBE), focusing on the TBE program in Boston, Massachusetts. Also discusses alternatives to TBE, such as English as a Second Language pull-out programs and English immersion programs. (Contains 114 references.) (MDM)

Reviews a 1994 U.S. General Accounting Office study entitled "Limited-English Proficiency: A Growing and Costly Educational Challenge Facing Many School Districts." The article argues that the report is biased in favor of full bilingual instruction over other methods of teaching English to limited English proficient students. (Contains 13…

Reviews a 1992 study of California's bilingual education program, entitled "Meeting the Challenge of Diversity: An Evaluation of Programs for Pupils with Limited English Proficiency," and argues that the report too easily attributes the disappointing outcomes of limited-English-proficient students to lack of sufficient resources rather than to the…