In this paper we argue in favour of teaching English as a second language to the Bengali learners with direct utilisation of English corpora. The proposed strategy is meant to be assisted with computer and is based on data, information, and examples retrieved from the present-day English corpora developed with various text samples composed by…

Draws attention to psycholinguistic hypotheses connected with the mental lexicon and the implications for those actively working with the teaching of vocabulary. (Author/VWL)

Suggests English teaching in Iran has been a failure, partly because the language is not used as a means of communication, but is taught in isolated fragments. Discusses methods for testing writing, recommending essay tests over multiple-choice ones so the washback effect will encourage teachers and students to change their attitudes about…

Reviews, analyzes, discusses, and suggests possible uses of dictation on foreign language classes. Types and selections of dictations rediscussed and introduced. Results obtained through interviews with both teachers and students show dictation is useful learning device. (Author/VWL)

Attempts to reinterpret the threshold hypothesis, which states that low second language (L2) proficiency blocks the transfer of first language (L1) reading strategies to the reading of L2 texts. Results indicate that it is not only low foreign language proficiency but also text difficulty in terms of register complexity that negatively affect the…

Investigates the effects of two types of motivation--integrative and instrumental--on the English proficiency of English-as-a-foreign-language senior students at Islamic Azad University of Kerman. Results showed a significant difference between the means of the English proficiency scores of the integratively motivated students and the…

Suggest that because language planning is a tool in the service of many different latent goals, it rarely conforms to a rational paradigm of decision-making or problem-solving. This article presents a linguistic profile of Cameroon. (Author/VWL)

Introduces a comprehensive inventory of the communication strategies of adult English-as-a-foreign-language learners at the lexical level. Comments on the influence of the proficiency factor.(Author/VWL)

Discusses the urgency of therapeutic appraisal tests for various types of aphasia in India, where the clinical population comes from multilingual, multiethnic, and multicultural backgrounds; has a low literacy level; and hails from various geographical regions. The need for good diagnostic tests is imperative for a detailed evaluation of language…

Examines the use of English in urban India, with specific focus on the three domains of mass media, print, television, and advertising. Points to the emergence of Angrezi, which can potentially take a divergent path as an Ausbau language different from the global English. Brings under discussion interesting examples of bilingual and biscriptal…

The introduction of computational linguistics triggers a new space for communication, an electronic space for a simulated communication network, founded by the post-industrialized society. The language inaugurated by these electronic media is an electric language stripped of its signifier. The new language planning enterprise in cyberspace…

Explores the constraints imposed by certain common discourses on the development and implementation of language policy in South Africa. Analyzes a debate in the 1870s concerning the future language of South Africa, examines a series of popular articles from a daily newspaper to reveal traps of popular discourses, and scans official policy…

Provides an overview of primary education with multilingualism or multilingual education in South Africa. Taking the country's new language-in-education policy as a starting point, this article explores the rationale for the promotion of multilingualism in education and reviews work in progress with reference to teacher education, school-based…

Focuses on the development of pragmatic competence by adult non-native users of English. One aim of the study was to verify whether exposure to models of requesting devices used by a competent user would be beneficial to a less competent user. Results suggest that such exposure is beneficial. (Author/VWL)

Argues for the use of reflective program evaluation in the South African context as a dynamic agent of improved practice. Provides an overview of program evaluation and explores the reasons that make quantitative evaluation of limited value. Discusses the attempts that have been made to overcome the inadequacies of this kind of evaluation.…