Discusses the role that language plays in education, with particular focus on the importance of dialog in learning and teaching. Suggests that while there is need for agreement about the outcomes to be aimed for, and genuine concern for equity and improvement in standards, a full recognition of the value and problems of diversity and acceptance of…

Discusses the language of law and its general interest to the field of applied linguistics. Specific focus is on legal language, the problems and remedies of legal communication (e.g., language and disadvantage before the law, improving legal communication) the legislation of language (e.g., language rights, language crimes), and forensic…

Discusses research on the focus and functions of language in medical practice and training. Four specific areas are highlighted: (1) speaking to patients; (2) speaking with patients; (3) speaking about patients; and (4) speaking by patients. Example studies are cited in each section, and the contributions and limitations in each topic are noted.…

Reviews recent applied linguistic research on science and language, especially studies conducted during the period between 1990 and 1998. Outlines major changes that have taken place in this area since van Naerssen and Kaplan's 1987 review. (Author/VWL)

Surveys the interrelationship between language and politics. Touches on the context of political discourse, or political culture and ideology in new and old democracies and the reemerging manifestations of totalitarianism, censorship, and linguistic imperialism; then examines selected linguistic features of political discourse and their…

This survey of recent developments in language testing offers a broad view of the field by focusing on significant developments that have occurred in the last half decade, including theoretical developments, practical developments, and recent resources. (Author/VWL)

Provides a history of validation in language testing, discusses current approaches to validation in language testing (hypothesis about testing outcomes, relevant evidence for testing the hypothesis, developing a validity argument), and gives an overview of current challenges in language-test validation (defining the language construct to be…

Provides a broad overview of computerized testing issues with an emphasis on computer-adaptive testing (CAT). A survey of the potential benefits and drawbacks of CAT are given, the process of CAT development is described; and some L2 instruments developed to assess various language skills are summarized. (Author/VWL)

Describes English learners' views on the acquisition of the phonetic component of English by focusing on (1) their awareness of the difficulty and importance of English pronunciation, and (2) their beliefs about influential factors in the acquisition of pronunciation and their attitudes towards English accents. Examines differences in phonetic…

Explores the claims of the "dynamic" model of variation by testing against data recorded in Avion, Northern France. Parallels are drawn between "langue d'oil" areas of France and decreolization situations in which proponents of the dynamic model have generally worked. (Author/VWL)

Contrasts propaganda about language at different periods during the last 150 years in five localities: southern Austria; western Hungary, Karelia, Moldavia, and northwestern Greece. The study comes out of the little-known field of political linguistics. (Author/VWL)

Examines the performance of six student interpreters attending a training course at the University of Oslo. Data are drawn from video recordings in which the students interpret dialogs in two test situations. Students use consecutive interpreting with short speaker intervals and perform in Norwegian/Bosnian, Croatian, Serbian. Compares students'…

Reports on a study that investigated the beliefs about language learning of 202 English-as-Foreign-Language (EFL) students and 4 EFL teachers in the English department at the City University of Hong Kong. The main aim of the study was to determine if the differences between students and teacher beliefs about language learning affect proficiency.…

Discusses ways of using second language acquisition (SLA) research in teaching, and argues that the correct use of SLA research should meet a set of overlapping requirements. The requirements are then applied to three sample areas of research: the question of age-effects in second language learning, the acquisition of phonology, and the…

Discusses how research on conventional discourse patterns in professional settings provides useful insights into the design of language for specific purposes/English for specific purposes courses (LSP/ESP). Suggests an LSP course should aim at developing students' genre awareness. The question of whether genre conventions should be explicitly…