bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prompting Spontaneity by Means of the Video Camera in the Beginning Foreign Language Class
Authors: Pelletier Raymond J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article proposes that the periodic use of the video camera can generate a higher level of student interest, involvement, and productivity in the everyday tasks of the beginning foreign language course. It expands the range of possible uses for the video camera in the classroom as a means of generating guided, spontaneous, and real use of the foreign language in vocabulary expansion and reinforcement and in the presentation and illustration of grammar points. Four techniques for the use of the video camera in the classroom are described as well as possible outcomes and benefits derived from the approach.
Using FLES History to Plan for the Present and Future
Authors: Heining‐Boynton Audrey L.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  All too often in education “new” programs are planned without thoroughly investigating what was done in the past. By examining earlier FLES efforts, curriculum planners can put to good use what was learned from FLES of the fifties and sixties.

This articles looks at the history of FLES in the United States. Besides the usually‐quoted reasons of 1) lack of money, 2) return to the basics, and 3) xenophobia on the part of Americans, six other important and recurring reasons for the decline of FLES in the fifties and sixties are explored. Based on these reasons, a checklist has been developed for new and existing programs to use as a means of self evaluation.
Freeing The Teacher: A Supervisory Process
Authors: Gebhard Jerry G.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Directive and clinical approaches to teacher supervision, while appreciated by some teachers, are also problematic. The most obvious problem is that teachers are not provided with much opportunity to develop their decision‐making skills about what and how to teach. The focus of this paper is to present and illustrate a process through which the supervisor can provide teachers with opportunities to make their own teaching decisions by leading them through a process of exploration. This process includes teaching teachers how to observe classroom interaction, code and analyze interaction, interpret patterns of classroom behavior, and make informed decisions about teaching based on the analysis and interpretation. In addition, in order to enhance exploration, the supervisor is encouraged to bring teachers together to work on activities which center on teaching.
Teenage Novels of Adventure as a Source of Authentic Material
Authors: San Ben Christensen
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  As the foreign language teachers look to “authentic” material as a source of input, they may find literary pieces a valuable part of the repertoire of the curriculum. In particular, the teenage detective novel may serve a useful purpose in certain classes. Teenage novels of adventure, due to their unique components: peerlevel sleuths, suspense, intrigue, fast action, opposing forces of tension, and cliff‐hanging chapter endings, have sustained the reading interest of millions of American youth during this century. This genre exists in countries of many of the languages we teach, and critical editions of such novels with culture notes, glossaries, and classroom activities have much to offer the foreign language classroom. One new teenage adventure novel series from Spain, “Las adventuras de Héctor,” is well suited for college and advanced high school Spanish classes. This article discusses the merits of the teenage detective novel, the literary contributions of Pedro Casals, the series' author, and classroom use of these texts for developing reading and conversation‐skills.
Foreign Language Retention and Attrition: A Study of Regression Models
Authors: Hedgcock John
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This article discusses current perspectives on foreign language loss and offers a reinterpretation of regressionist theories of attrition in which last‐presented FL material is predicted to deteriorate first. Before reporting the results of a small‐scale study of the retention and loss of Spanish among college undergraduates, the author describes a processing model of FL maintenance which holds that FL material having cognitive associations is most likely to be retained. Results of the investigation, which provide evidence for a processing view, are then discussed with respect to developing a more widely‐based research paradigm.
The FLES Program Evaluation Inventory (FPEI)
Authors: Heining‐Boynton Audrey L.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The lack of yearly program evaluation contributed to the failure of FLES in the fifties and sixties. Now that communities and states are recommitting to the notion of FLES, program evaluation must be incorporated from the outset. This article provides a rationale for program evaluation, and discusses the development and use of the FLES Program Evaluation Inventory (FPEI). The questionnaires are provided for duplication, and step‐by‐step instructions are given for the administration, tabulation, and reporting of the five different forms.
The Preferences of ESL Students for Error Correction in College‐Level Writing Classes
Authors: Leki Ilona
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The work of researchers like Zamel (24) and Krashen (12) on the effectiveness of teacher feedback on second language writing does not support a focus on surface error to help students improve their writing. However, students of English as a Second Language (ESL) may come to U.S. institutions of higher education with a notion different from that of their teachers here about what kind of teacher responses will help them improve their writing. This paper presents the results of a survey of 100 ESL students in freshman composition classes, asking the students to analyze their sense of what kinds of paper marking techniques help them the most to improve their writing, which kinds of corrections they even read, which corrections they feel they retain best, and what reactions they have to positive and negative comments on both the form and the content of their writing. The results of this preliminary study suggest that these students equate good writing in English with error‐free writing and, therefore, that they want and expect their composition teachers to correct all errors in their written work. This paper argues that a given teacher and class of students must agree about what constitutes improvement in writing and suggests that students' expectations may need to be modified if students are to profit from teacher feedback on their compositions.
Evaluating the Use of Captioned Video Materials in Advanced Foreign Language Learning
Authors: Garza Thomas J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT As increasing numbers of foreign language programs begin to integrate video materials into their curricula, more attention is being focused on ways and means to optimize the student's comprehension of the language of film and television segments. This article reports on the results of research conducted to evaluate the use of captioning (on‐screen target language subtitles) as a pedagogical aid to facilitate the use of authentic video materials in the foreign language classroom, especially in advanced or upper‐level courses. Using Russian and ESL as target languages, the data collected strongly support a positive correlation between the presence of captions and increased comprehension of the linguistic content of the video material, suggesting the use of captions to bridge the gap between the learner's competence in reading and listening. The paper includes a detailed description of the research methodology, implementation, data analysis, and conclusions. A discussion of the results and suggestions for further research are also included.
A Screening Instrument for the Identification of Foreign Language Learning Problems
Authors: Ganschow Leonore , Sparks Richard
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Authors describe a self‐scoring screening instrument designed to predict college students' risk for success or failure in foreign language classes. The instrument's questions, based on the authors' experiences with students with learning disabilities, focus on students' foreign language backgrounds, developmental and academic learning histories, and tests and classroom learning characteristics. Results of research studies conducted with the instrument and implications of these findings for foreign language instructors are presented.
Coherence in EFL Student‐Written Texts: Two Perspectives
Authors: Shakir Abdullah
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACTWhat EFL school teachers view as most harmful to coherence in their student‐written texts is an area which has received very little attention from EFL researchers in the Arab world. This article aims to explore this area and to identify the aspects of focus of a group of EFL teachers in Jordan in evaluating a student‐written text for coherence.

Two EFL texts of general expository nature, drawn from a corpus of 45 texts written by first‐year students in the English Department at Yarmouk University, were given to twenty‐four EFL secondary school teachers. The teachers were asked to evaluate each text for coherence (on a scale of 1–25), and to record on a separate sheet the weaknesses which, in their view, impeded coherence in each text. The teachers' comments were then collected, categorized, and analyzed.

At a later stage, the two texts were analyzed for coherence and cohesion by the researcher. The analysis was based on the most recent developments in text linguistics. The rationale for the analysis was to investigate what rendered each text coherent or incoherent, and to find out to what extent the features the analysis revealed were taken into account by the teachers when they evaluated the texts.

The analysis of the teachers' comments showed that the majority of the comments were concerned with weaknesses related to sentence structure, although, as the analysis of the texts showed, such weaknesses were not the major factors behind breakdown of coherence in the two texts. The analysis revealed that the texts suffered, in addition to poor grammar, three major flaws:

1. aurality of the mode of presentation;

2. inability to stay with initial ideas and general statements, and lack of depth and substantiation;

3. deviation from the intended rhetorical function of the writing task.

The article concludes with a section on the implications drawn from the findings of the study and provides some suggestions regarding the teaching of writing at text level in an EFL context.
Student Responses to Learning Strategy Instruction in the Foreign Language Classroom
Authors: Chamot Anna Uhl
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This paper describes a study which is investigating the teaching of learning strategies to high school and college students enrolled in beginning level Japanese classes and high school students in beginning level Russian and Spanish classes. Learning strategy instructional materials correlated to each curriculum were implemented by participating teachers, and the effect of the instruction on students was analyzed. The focus of this paper is on students' self‐reports of strategy use after instruction and their evaluation of the usefulness of the strategies taught.
Issues in Reading Comprehension Assessment: Implications for the Development of Research Instruments and Classroom Tests
Authors: Wolf Darlene F.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Second language (L2) reading researchers utilize a variety of comprehension assessment procedures that may not be comparable. Without comparability of findings, research can neither facilitate theory development nor inform educators as to appropriate testing procedures. Unfortunately, L2 reading research has shown that learners' performance on comprehension tasks varies according to the task used. Such variation can be attributed to two factors: the type of task used to assess comprehension and the language in which the task is presented and carried out. This article examines the effects of some of the testing procedures used in current 12 reading research on learners' performance on these tasks and suggests guidelines for developing future research instruments and classroom reading comprehension tests.
Task‐Induced Variability in FL Composition: Language‐Specific Perspectives
Authors: Koda Keiko
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This study investigated the ways in which different writing tasks influence the quality and quantity of FL composition, as well as the writing strategies used by American college students when composing in Japanese as a foreign language. The purposes of the study were three‐fold: (a) to compare qualitative and quantitative differences between descriptive and narrative writing tasks; (b) to describe linguistic and rhetorical requirements in each task; and (c) to identify the discourse strategies utilized in the tasks. Three types of text analyses demonstrated that the two tasks posed varying linguistic and cognitive requirements. This finding suggests that different linguistic competencies are required to perform varying writing tasks. The data also indicated that narrative discourse involves more demanding linguistic processing, at varying levels, than descriptive discourse. In addition, the analyses demonstrated that the ability to expand and elaborate preceding subtopics in discourse accounts, at least in part, for individual differences in FL composition aptitude. This ability, moreover, is related to knowledge of content‐word meanings. These findings are consistent with those from reading comprehension research, both in L1 and L2, and thus support the view that reading and writing involve essentially similar processes of constructing meaning.
Polite Requests: Second Language Textbooks and Learners of French
Authors: Phillips Elaine M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The profession's concern with learners' ability to use language “in context” is well established More recently, practitioners and researchers have expressed a growing interest in questions of students' sociopragmatic competence1 in the second language. This article reports on a three‐step research project examining students' familiarity with, and ability to make, polite requests. First, a survey of introductory and intermediate textbooks suggested that students are inadequately trained in socially appropriate request forms. Next, two task‐related instruments were completed by students to assess their ability to recognize degrees of politeness based on three variables preferred by native speakers (interrogative, conditional mood, and hearer‐orientation) and to produce polite requests of their own based on the same three variables. Results from the first task revealed that learners are able to recognize degree of deference in requests only to a moderate degree. Results from the second instrument suggested that learners are insufficiently familiar with the conditional of politeness or that they are largely unable to use it in making polite requests. Gaps in students' sociopragmatic competence may be caused by incomplete transfer from L1 to L2 and by the difficulty of grammatical structures required for polite requests. This paper suggests that input from textbooks can be used to fill the gap related to polite requests if more attention is devoted to the presentation and practice of formulaic expressions and appropriate linguistic forms such as the conditional of politeness.
Assessing Communication in Writing: The Development of a Spanish Writing Contest
Authors: Scot Renée S. , Rodgers Barbara C.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  In the fall of 1991, The Asociación Cultural Hispanoamericana (ACHA), Florida Community College of Jacksonville, and Duval County Schools jointly sponsored the first local competition for middle school, high school, and college level Spanish students in northeast Florida. The goal of the contest was to provide a forum for students to demonstrate proficiency in Spanish and to promote language learning. Students participated in the areas of speaking, reading, culture, grammar, listening, and writing. The authors of this paper were assigned to develop the writing section of the contest and to coordinate the actual event. This paper reports on the process of developing a proficiency‐oriented writing contest, as well as a system of assessment of that writing based on a set of rubrics for each level of writing.
Questions of Regionalism in Native Speaker OPI Performance: The French‐Canadian Experience
Authors: Marisi Paulette (Moeller)
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) has been submitted to external scrutiny and has been accepted by many foreign language educators as an accurate method of assessing speaking competence of foreign language learners. Recognizing, however, that every test has its limitations, and that the nature of all good systems of evaluation is to evolve in order to meet growing needs, an OPI is herein examined in the context of evaluating native speakers. A 1991 workshop in Quebec City and a 1989 Canadian Study on French regional speech provide the framework for an honest discussion of sociolinguistic competence and the suitability of the OPI for testing native speakers. An invitation for further dialogue on this issue follows a list of recommendations that: a) ACTFL should further define the role of the sociolinguistic element of accuracy; b) ACTFL testers should be sensitive to the issue of regional variants when testing native speakers in order to distinguish a “pattern of errors” from bona fide regionalism; c) Canadian testers should beware of the danger of overlooking errors of high frequency usage that appear acceptable by virtue of their common occurrence; and d) ACTFL needs to reexamine the notion that all compensation ceases at the superior level.

Finally the author suggests that Canadian French is to European French as American English is to British English, and hence should be accepted in a North American context, as a bona fide variant of the language.
Content‐Based Foreign Language Instruction In the Middle School: An Experiential Learning Approach
Authors: Moeller Aleidine J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Numerous middle school reports acknowledge foreign languages as an important part of middle school curriculum, yet all too often, the foreign language teachers are on the periphery of decision making and curriculum planning activities. A thorough analysis of theNational Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)–An Agenda for Excellence at the Middle Levelreveals a significant overlap in instructional and curricular goals with Krashen's and Omaggio‐Hadley's tenets of effective language learning and teaching. A detailed comparison of the NASSP document and the literature on content‐based foreign language instruction reveals significant similarities in the curricular and instructional goals endorsed for middle level learners. Content‐based foreign language instruction best accommodates the goals of interdisciplinary teams, hands‐on, active and involved learning, student‐centered in nature that is embraced by middle level educators.
Middle School Philosophy and Second Language Acquisition Theory: Working Together for Enhanced Proficiency
Authors: Verkler Karen Wolz
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Many Florida middle schools offer to eighth graders a year‐long Spanish I course identical to that at the high school level. Foreign language educators have frequently questioned whether middle school Spanish I students, whose school setting differs greatly from that of the high school, achieve language proficiency equivalent to that of high school Spanish I students. This study was conducted to determine the effects of school affiliation on the level of language competency attained by Spanish I students. Competency in all four language skills–listening comprehension, writing, reading comprehension, and oral production–was measured by a Spanish I Exam. Differences between the two groups in attitude toward foreign language learning were also examined.

The subjects in this study were 107 middle school eighth graders and 57 high school ninth graders enrolled in Spanish I classes in four Florida school districts. The Spanish I Exam was administered as a pretest at the beginning of the 1992–93 school year and as a posttest at the end of the school year. A Foreign Language Attitude Questionnaire was also given at the end of the school year. The teachers were instructed to conduct their classes as usual for the duration of the school year. Data on socioeconomic status (SES) and GPA, variables that might influence performance on the posttest and attitude questionnaire, were also collected.

To examine the effects of school affiliation, Spanish I Exam pretest score, SES, and GPA on each of the four language skills and on attitude toward the foreign language learning experience, multiple linear regression analyses were performed. The results indicated that there was a significant relationship between school affiliation and each of the posttest components. Middle school language achievement exceeded that of the high school in all four language skills. In addition, middle school attitude toward the foreign language learning experience was significantly more favorable than that of the high school. Pretest score and GPA, but not SES, were significantly related to language achievement and attitude.
Career Development For the Language Professional
Authors: Sadow Stephen A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Too often, foreign language professionals just let their careers happen, each academic year following the last. However, there is no reason that this should be so. Careers should be viewed as living, changeable entities. Career management is a type of self‐empowerment by which you take control of your professional life. This article includes descriptions of successful careers in language teaching as told by the professionals themselves. Suggestions for a career adjustment are offered: First: Find yourself some role models. Second: Get some advice. Third: Do a self‐survey. Fourth: Fantasize about your career. Fifth: Discuss your situation with professional colleagues. Career development issues make natural themes for meetings of foreign language organizations. Sixth: Network with others at a midpoint in their careers to turn up new possibilities, provide a source of skills training, and foster mutual support. Seventh: Read everything you can get your hands on about possible new directions. Finally, a decision about a career adjustment can often be quickly implemented.
U.S. Immersion Programs: A National Survey
Authors: Fortune Tara , Jorstad Helen L.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This national survey identifies key components of U.S. language immersion programs and offers a description of existing partial and full immersion schools. It parallels information‐gathering efforts in Canada and Europe by providing details and summaries of demographic information, teachers, materials, target language proficiency and use, program structure and content, student and program assessment, inservice education, and articulation.
Foreign Language Anxiety and Language Performance: A Study of Learner Anxiety in Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced‐Level College Students of Japanese
Authors: Saito Yoshiko , Samimy Keiko K.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Japanese language study among American university students has dramatically increased since 1986. However, despite initial enthusiasm, high attrition rates have been reported. One reason often cited for this attrition is the perceived degree of difficulty of the Japanese language because of its “truly foreign” nature (Jorden and Walton 1987), which can be initially anxiety‐provoking for students whose first language is English.

In the present study, the role of language learner anxiety, among other affective variables of students studying Japanese, is examined in relation to students' language performance at three different instructional levels.

The results of the study indicate that with these students of Japanese the predictive variable of their performance was different from the beginning level to the intermediate‐ and the advanced‐level students. For beginning students, the Year in College was identified as the best predicting factor, while Language Class Anxiety was the best predictor for both intermediate‐and advanced‐level students.

The results of the present study corroborate earlier anxiety studies in the commonly taught languages: in the finding that foreign language anxiety can have a negative impact on Japanese learners' performance. The present study, however, reveals that the influence of foreign language anxiety becomes more important as Japanese learners' instructional levels increase. It is clear that in order to reduce the debilitating effect of language class anxiety, teachers of Japanese need to become aware of these differences in terms of the learners' affective states and respond to them accordingly.
Practical Whole Language Strategies for Secondary and University‐Level FL Students
Authors: Adair‐Hauck Bonnie
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article illustrates strategies for the practical application of a whole language approach in the second/foreign language classroom. The author has interviewed and observed both L1 and L2 teachers using a whole language approach to language learning. From these observations and interviews, as well as from a review of the current literature, the article discusses some basic tenets of a whole language approach, which immerses learners in meaningful, literature‐based activities.

The article also provides practical whole language activities appropriate for secondary or university level students. And finally, the article reports on the results of a questionnaire in which high school foreign language learners shared their reactions to whole language teaching strategies.
The Effectiveness of Computer‐Assisted Metalinguistic Instruction: A Case Study in Japanese
Authors: Nagata Noriko
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This study examines the effectiveness of computer‐assisted metalinguistic instruction for teaching complex grammatical structures such as Japanese particles. Fourteen students enrolled in second‐year Japanese at the university level participated in the study. First, a particle test was administered. The result suggested that the students employ two main strategies to assign a particle in a sentence: one is to follow metalinguistic rules and the other is to rely on English translations. Next, the students were divided into two groups. One group performed particle exercises on a computer programmed to provide metalinguistic feedback (i.e., detailed explanations about grammatical and semantic functions of the particles). The other group did the same exercises on a computer, but the computer program provided translation feedback (i.e., English LI translations of Japanese particles) rather than linguistic rules. The result was that the metalinguistic feedback group performed significantly better on an achievement test than the translation feedback group. The study suggests that computers' ongoing metalinguistic feedback can lead learners to perform significantly better than translation feedback in using complex grammatical structures, and that it does so by increasing the student's tendency to actually use such metalinguistic information in production of the target language.
Field Dependence/Independence in Second Language Acquisition1 and Implications for Educators and Instructional Designers
Authors: Hoffman Suzanne Q.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The question of whether the relationship between field dependence/independence (FD/I) and second language acquisition is significant is discussed in this three‐part paper. Introductory material defining FD/I within the context of second language acquisition (SLA) is covered in the first section. The second section is a brief review of relevant research that has been conducted in FD/I and SLA. The final section is a discussion of the implications of the research conducted for educators and instructional designers. Topics in the final section include the use of knowledge of learners' FD/I for guidance, the impact of matching of instructors' and learners' FD/I on student performance, practical application of field independent and field dependent methods in formal learning situations, and problems associated with tests of FD/I and language proficiency.
Etymology in a Course on the History of the German Language
Authors: Bloomer Robert K.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article suggests a method for reinforcing some of the topics covered in an upper‐division or graduate course on the history of the German language. Among these are the second or High German consonant shift and the influence of culture on the development of the language. In three‐week‐long projects toward the end of the semester, students investigate modern German words according to conceptual groups (“Musikinstrumente,” “Säugetiere,” etc.) from the perspective of etymology. For their groups of words, students perform a number of concrete tasks. The project introduced in this article is practical, for it enhances decision‐making and organizational skills of the learner, expands vocabulary, and makes purposeful use of etymological sources as it achieves its primary goal of deepening the practical understanding of these issues.
Pair Teaching in Preservice Teacher Education
Authors: Medgyes Péter , Nyilasi Emese
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article is concerned with a collaborative form of teacher education–more specifically, with pair teaching in the preservice training of EFL/ESL teachers in Hungary. It discusses the results of a longitudinal study of the relationship between the principles of pair teaching and its realization in classroom work. The data were collected primarily through a series of interviews conducted with trainee teachers, and were subsequently compared against information provided by supervisors and students.
The Comprehension Strategies of Second Language (French) Listeners: A Descriptive Study
Authors: Vandergrift Laurens
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This paper reports on a study of the relationship between the types of listening comprehension strategies reported, the frequency of their use, and the differences in reported use across four variables: level of language proficiency, gender, listening ability, and learning style. High school students of French reported on their thought processes during a think‐aloud procedure. All students reported using metacognitive and cognitive strategies, with an overall increase in total number of strategies reported by proficiency level. Results indicate clear differences in reported strategy use by listening ability and proficiency level. The use of metacognitive strategies, such as comprehension monitoring, problem identification, and selective attention appeared to be the significant factor distinguishing the successful from the less successful listener. Differences for gender were minimal, and differences for learning style were inconclusive. A qualitative analysis of representative protocols also pointed to the integral role of metacognitive strategies as well as differences in the use of prior knowledge, inferencing, prediction skills, and monitoring. Results are discussed in the light of information‐processing theory. Implications for pedagogy conclude the paper.
Foreign Language Anxiety and Learning Style
Authors: Bailey Phillip , Daley Christine E. , Onwuegbuzie Anthony J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Research suggests that how students perceive themselves as language learners can affect both their level of anxiety in foreign language courses and their achievement. However, to date, the potential link between learning style and foreign language anxiety has not been empirically tested. Thus, this study of 146 university students attempted to identify a combination of learning modalities that might be correlated with foreign language anxiety. A setwise multiple regression analysis revealed that, of twenty learning modality variables, only responsibility and peer‐orientation appeared to be related to foreign language anxiety. Specifically, students who are not responsible in attempting assignments and who preferred not to learn in cooperative groups tended to have higher levels of foreign language anxiety. These learning style variables explained only six percent of the variance; however, in the context of foreign language anxiety research, this minimal finding has important implications. This paper discusses these findings, suggests possible questions for future research, and makes recommendations for understanding foreign language anxiety and increasing foreign language learning.
Textual and Pictorial Glosses: Effectiveness on Incidental Vocabulary Growth When Reading in a Foreign Language
Authors: Kost Claudia R. , Foss Pamelo , Lenzini John J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The present study investigates the effects of pictorial and textual glosses and a combination thereof on incidental vocabulary growth of foreign language learners. Subjects from second‐semester German classes read a narrative text passage under one of three marginal gloss conditions: textual gloss (English translation); pictorial gloss; and text and pictures in the gloss. Subjects were tested on production as well as recognition of fourteen target words both immediately following and two weeks after the reading. Support was found for the hypothesis that subjects utilizing a combination of text and pictures in the gloss would outperform subjects under the other two gloss conditions on the recognition of target words on both short‐term memory and retention.
Study Abroad and Experiential Learning in Salzburg, Austria
Authors: Archangeli Melanie
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Professional opinion regarding the effect of interaction with native speakers on gains in language proficiency is mixed; however, in most studies the subjects have been students of English as a second language rather than American students studying abroad. The assignment described in this essay demonstrates that for students studying abroad, out‐ofclass contact in the form of interviews with native speakers has a positive effect on the students' selfconfi‐dence and their willingness to use the target language. American college students studying for ten weeks in Salzburg, Austria, were required to interview two native speakers, one approximately the same age as the students and one older. Students prepared a written protocol of the interview and gave an oral presentation of the results. At the end of the program, students assessed the value of the assignment by completing a questionnaire about the interview process.
Primary to Secondary LOTE Articulation: A Local Case in Australia
Authors: Kleinsasser Robert C.
Published: January 2009

Abstract: In this study of articulation issues related to languages other than English (LOTE), “articulation” is defined and the challenges surrounding it are overviewed. Data taken from an independent school's admission documents over a 4‐year period provide insights and reveal trends concerning students' preferences for language study, LOTE study continuity, and reasons for LOTE selection. The data also provides an accounting of some multiple LOTE learning experiences. The analysis indicates that many students who begin a LOTE in the early grades are thwarted in becoming proficient, because (1)continuation in the language is impossible due to unavailability of instruction; (2)expanded learning is hampered by teachers' inability to deal with a range of learners, (3)extended learning is hampered by administrative decisions or policies, or (4)students lose interest in the first LOTE and switch to another: Finally, a call is made for data gathering and research in local contexts to gain a better understanding of LOTE articulation challenges at the local, state, national, and international levels.
Teaching Composition in the College Level Foreign Langua Class: Insights and Activities from Sociocultural Theory
Authors: Roebuck Regina F.
Published: January 2009

Abstract: The second language composition course at the college level presents a number of challenges to the instructor A requirement for most major and minor language degrees, there are many factors that make the course difficult or burdensome to teach. It is precisely this course, however, that offers learners the opportunity to develop their linguistic and written competencies and the instructor the opportunity to create multiple situations of pedagogical value. This article will draw on several relevant and useful components of sociocultural theory in the organization of a second language composition course and the creation of activities designed to improve students' written skills in the second language
Strategies for Success: Profiling the Effective Learner of German
Authors: Bruen Jennifer
Published: January 2009

Abstract: Teachers and learners are often uncertain about the processes at work when students attempt to acquire oral skills in a foreign language. The primary objective of this study is to identify the language‐learning strategies associated with the achievement of higher levels of oral proficiency in German for 100 Irish students about to complete their second year at Dublin City University. It also investigates the way in which these strategies are used by those with higher and lower levels of proficiency. The methodology combines quantitative assessment (using questionnaires)with in‐depth, qualitative interviews. The article begins by explaining key concepts in the field of language learning strategy research and then reviews a selection of relevant studies. An experiment designed to achieve the above objectives is then described. The results indicate that more‐proficient students use more language‐learning strategies, in particular more cognitive and metacognitive strategies. Furthermore, ten. strategies correlate with higher levels of oral proficiency at a significant level. These provide a tentative strategic profile of the more effective learner of German. Finally, the qualitative findings suggest that more‐proficient students use language‐learning strategies in a more structured and purposeful manner and apply them to a wider range of situations and tasks. Finally, implications for future research and for the language classroom are discussed.
Writing in a Second‐Year German Class
Authors: Reichelt Melinda , Waltner Keri Bryant
Published: January 2009

Abstract: This study investigates the context of writing instruction in a second‐year, second‐semester German course. Focusing on a children's story project, the researchers describe how writing is taught in the course; the relationship of writing assignments to the rest of the course curriculum; and the perceptions of FL. writing, including its purpose, held by the instructor and students in the course. The researchers relate this information to a discussion of the purposes of writing in the FL classroom.
Two Modes of Correcting Communicative Tasks: Recent Findings
Authors: O'Relly Leonor V. , Flaitz Jeffra , Kromrey Jeffrey
Published: January 2009

Abstract: The purpose of this study, an expansion of Nobuyoshi and Ellis's (1993)experiment, was to examine the output produced by 46 university students of Spanish at the intermediate level during focused or unfocused communication tasks that required the use of the command forms in Spanish. The study also examined whether the learners who experienced the focused communication tasks would maintain linguistic accuracy during an unfocused communication task after five weeks had passed. Learners were randomly assigned to one of three groups. Two of the groups participated in focused communication tasks and received feedback on form by means of clarification requests or corrective confirmation checks. The other group participated in unfocused communication tasks and did not receive feedback on form. A one‐way ANOVA revealed that differences in mean scores on a delayed posttest were not statistically significant. However students who received confirmation checks scored higher than did students in the other groups. Nevertheless, communicative tasks designed to elicit a more accurate output from learners may be better suited for reinforcing linguistic features that have already been introduced to and internalized by learners.
Spotlight on International Education
Authors: Devuney Bridgette
Published: January 2009

The following article appeared in the Spring 2001 issue of the ERIC/CLL News Bulletin (Volume 24), No. 1–2, pages 6–8, and is reprinted here for the interest of our readers.
Influencing the Instructional Design Strategies of New Teachers: Foreign Language and Technology Teacher Education
Authors: Cunningham Ann C. , Redmond Mary Lynn
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Fulfilling the national technology expectations for educators has become an important issue for many U.S. teacher‐training institutions. This article presents the foreign language education program at Wake Forest University as an example of how a content‐focused curriculum can be enhanced by a supportive technology program. An emphasis on content, research, and practice supported by integrated, state‐of‐the‐art technology prepares graduates of the foreign language education program to lead twenty‐first century classrooms.
Efficacy of Intervention Strategies in Learning Success Rates
Authors: Kato Fumie
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: This article reports on the efficacy of interventions made to improve the attrition rates of students of Japanese as a Foreign Language at The University of Sydney. Specifically, the study sought to evaluate differences in outcomes between students with a background in a morphographic writing system and those without such a background. Four intervention techniques were developed and integrated into a first‐year Japanese course throughout 1997, with the goals of improving time management skills, providing effective learning strategies, increasing student motivation, and consequently increasing the number of successful learners. Outcomes suggest that the intervention techniques improved the success rates and academic achievement of students in 1997. However, it was found that students with a background in a morphographic writing system benefited more than students with a background in a phonographic writing system only, when improvement was measured by academic achievement. The latter group, however, showed significantly increased motivation and benefited more from learning strategy instruction and time management practice than did the group with a background in a morphographic writing system.
Negotiation Moves and Recasts in Relation to Error Types and Learner Repair in the Foreign Language Classroom
Authors: Morris Frank A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: This study assessed the provision and use of Implicit Negative Feedback in the interactional context of adult beginning learners of Spanish working in dyads (NNS–NNS) in the foreign language (L2) classroom. The relationships among error types, feedback types, and immediate learner repair were also examined. A total of 42 beginning FL learners of Spanish enrolled in two different sections of Beginning Spanish participated in the study. During regular class time, learners formed pairs and worked on the same jigsaw task. The collaborative work of all pairs was tape‐recorded, transcribed, and later coded for types of error (syntactic/lexical), types of NF (explicit/recasts/negotiation moves), and repair. Findings indicated that learners did not provide explicit negative feedback. Learners did provide and did use INF (recasts and negotiation moves) when working in NNS–NNS dyads. In addition, lexical errors favored the negotiation of form; syntactic errors invited recasts, but differential effects were found in terms of learner repair. Negotiation moves proved more effective in immediately repairing errors than did recasts.
On Foreign Ground: One Attempt at Attracting Non‐French Majors to a French Studies Course
Authors: Fallon Jean M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: This article presents a description of “Americans in Paris,” a class in English that was developed to attract nonlanguage majors to French Studies classes. The class focuses on American writers who lived and worked in Paris between 1890 and 1955 as part of a literary and cultural exchange between French and American societies. Learning about French writers and the dynamic, international community of writers and artists who came to Paris in the early twentieth century, students come to understand the literary and cultural heritages that were passed between France and America. The course's content showcases input that French professors can bring to this cross‐disciplinary subject by examining American works through a French cultural viewpoint and highlighting French literary and artistic traditions.
An ESOL Methods Course in a Latino Neighborhood
Authors: Cooper Thomas C.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: This article describes a model for situating an ESOL methods course in a Spanish‐speaking community. The methods course had two specific goals: (1) to organize ESOL classes for children and adults in a Latino neighborhood that serve as a practicum for university students working for an ESOL teaching endorsement and (2) to include a service‐learning project in the methods course so that the university students can become acquainted with the milieu of the children growing up in a Latino community. While it is not a difficult task to place an ESOL methods course in an ethnic neighborhood, the amount of planning and organization required exceeds to some degree the preparation necessary for a traditional university course held on campus. The rewards, however, far outweigh the extra effort, because the university students benefit from gaining actual ESOL teaching experience as they learn about an ethnic neighborhood, and the community residents benefit from the collaboration between the university and their neighborhood.
The Tek.Xam as a Framework for Preservice Foreign Language Teacher Technology Training
Authors: Spodark Edwina
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: At the undergraduate level, preservice training for future foreign language teachers usually consists of a one‐semester course taken before student teaching. Given the enormous quantity of material a student must cover in the preservice course, we must ask: What educational technology components should be incorporated into that limited time? What criteria should we use to organize the lessons on technology so that students can apply them immediately in real‐world classroom situations? This article offers the Tek.Xam, a national standard in technical literacy developed by the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, as the framework for six technology modules that are integrated into a representative undergraduate foreign language methodology class.
Effect of Using Photos from Authentic Video as Advance Organizers on Listening Comprehension in an FLES Chinese Class
Authors: Wilberschied Lee , Berman Peiyan M.
Published: January 2009

Abstract: To investigate differences in achievement in foreign language listening comprehension, 61 students in a Foreign Language in an Elementary School (FLES) program were studied during instruction using video clips from authentic Chinese TV broadcasts in two advance organizer conditions. The first type of advance organizer consisted of written words and sentences in Chinese, which summarized major scenes in the video the students were to watch. The second advance organizer involved the same written words and sentences as the first, with accompanying pictures taken from the video itself. Statistical significance of the listening comprehension scores from the exercises could not be established. However, the exercises seemed to be helpful, particularly for younger and less language‐proficient students. Interview results indicated that students perceived the pictures as more helpful than text alone.