Probes validity issues of computer-assisted strategy assessment in second language acquisition research. Reviews metacognitive and cognitive strategies, discussing trait-oriented and interactionist approaches in the concept of strategy, and examining validity by focusing on "advance preparation" and "resourcing" examples of…

Reviews Bialystok's (1990a) analysis of communication strategy work and describes two studies in which products are interpreted within frameworks illuminating underlying processes of second language (L2) learning. Concludes that products, appropriately analyzed, can provide important insights into the processes of L2 learners. (73 references)…

Identified changes in 48 nonnative speakers' (NNSs) pronunciation over a period of 12 weeks as a result of the type of instruction they received--global, segmental, and no specific pronunciation instruction. Implications for pronunciation instruction are drawn from the results. (Author/VWL)

Measured self-efficacy and learning goal orientation in the foreign language learning domain. Investigated relationships between self-efficacy, learning goal orientation, and foreign language achievement. Students studying German at Pennsylvania State University completed the new instrument--the Measure of Foreign Language Achievement (MOFLAP).…

Two studies clarified instructional effects of review quizzes as part of assessment. In one, a survey instrument was administered to Japanese college students, inquiring if they would like to have quizzes as part of assessment. In the second, a different set of students in the following year's Japanese course were allowed to choose whether they…

Responds to Robert Kaplan's discussion of language teaching and language policy presented in a earlier article. Special attention is given to the idea that attempts to modify the use of Spanish in the United States should pay greater attention to conditions in Latin America. (Author/VWL)

Describes a personal vision of the National Museum of Language. Envisions it as a place dedicated to the preservation of U.S. language heritage and as a place where every American can find information and Inspiration on all language matters. (Author/VWL)

Two closely related concepts are explored, with a selective review of research since publication of "The Learner-Centered Curriculum" in 1988. Practical ideas are presented for experimenting with learner-centeredness in foreign language teaching, including examples of specific strategies such as scanning and brainstorming. (Contains 20…

Working definitions of proficiency and performance in language testing are established, and their role in multidimensional testing is examined. The discussion also covers the relationship between proficiency and performance, a comparison of both types of tests, and performance test scoring dilemmas. (Contains 17 references.) (Author/LB)

Third semester college students of French viewed part of a film, read part, and then were given a surprise vocabulary test with colloquial words from the text. Their performance, compared to a control group, suggests that incidental vocabulary acquisition is possible in a foreign language situation. The test is appended. (Contains eight…

A discussion of gender differences in human development and language use is followed by reports of research on styles and strategies in learning a second or foreign language. Instructional implications for second-language classrooms are highlighted. (Contains 100 references.) (Author/LB)

A multilanguage project for development of a foreign-language curriculum is reported along with the teaching method that has evolved from it. The method is represented primarily in a set of "mini-courses," each being a short introduction to a given language. (Contains 34 references.) (Author/LB)

Focusing on a project in curricular innovation at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), this paper reviews in what sense a task-based approach to syllabus design constitutes an innovation. Then, the UIUC model of curricular innovation is outlined and is analyzed for the extent to which a complete, coherent process of innovation…

Addresses the renewed debate on cooperative learning in foreign language classrooms. First, the rationale for communicative language teaching in foreign language instruction is reported. Focus then shifts to research on potential drawbacks of communicative language teaching. Second, the role computers can play in cooperative learning is discussed,…

This study focused on the input-to-intake phenomenon: Can foreign language/second language (L2) learner-readers process grammatical information presented via written input as intake? Multiple tasks were designed to assess the processing of input into intake by first- and second-year students of Spanish. (JL)