bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Contribution of Foreign Language Study to Mastery of the Vernacular1
Authors: Palfrey Thomas R.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— The belief that foreign language study contributes to a mastery of the mother tongue has not been conclusively substantiated by experimental data. If a better understanding and a more accurate use of English is a desirable objective of foreign language study, further investigation should be carried on to determine how and to what extent this contribution is made, and how methods and texts may realize this objective more effectively.)
A Friendly Spirit
Authors: Hunter Ruth Viola
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— As a result of informal meetings a spirit of closer friendship exists between a varied group interested in French. Groups interested in other languages could profit by similar gatherings.)
A Check, List for Standardized Objective Language Tests
Authors: Smith Francis Prescott
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— There are a number of tests on the market for language testing programs. Which are the best for departmental or course use? By making use of the following check list it should be easy to make an intelligent choice for each objective to be tested.)
Let Us Stop Putting the Cart Before the Horse
Authors: Goggio Emilio
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Before beginning a foreign language, the student should know something about the advantages to be derived from it. Teachers should create the proper atmosphere. A knowledge, not merely of the language, but of the civilization of the countries concerned, is of importance and will be of value in the new order of things after the present world conflict.)
A Modern Modern Language Course
Authors: Brenman Morris
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— After an analysis of the present language situation, the conclusion is reached that the traditional “classic” French course is out of step with the high school of today. A plan for reorganization, on a “life‐centered” rather than on a “college‐centered” basis, is offered.)
Spanish—Or This Other Thing?
Authors: Coates Mary Weld
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— The author takes issue with a recent article in this Journal which recommended Spanish correspondence between schools in this country as more satisfactory than genuine foreign correspondence, pleads for genuine Spanish and recommends methods for obtaining correspondents.
The Views of Cardinal Sadoleto on Education
Authors: Weber Bernerd C.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Cardinal Sadoleto—his views on the principles of moral and literary training—place of Sadoleto in the educational theory and practice of the Renaissance.)
A Common Denominator for the Study of Languages
Authors: Pleasants Richard R.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— A close correlation between language courses from their beginning might increase their transfer value to English during the first two years.
Some Problems of Teaching Elementary Spanish
Authors: Akin Alma Palmer
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Description of a social‐approach method in beginners' Spanish.
The Problem of Translating
Authors: Freudenthal Hans W. L.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary.— Whoever makes an earnest attempt to translate from one language into another should be aware that, being faced with a problem sui generis, he can give only approximative values, and that his “solution” represents nothing but a compromise.
Italian Civilization
Authors: Russo G. A.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Since most students studying Italian are primarily interested in its cultural phase, teachers of Italian need to place greater emphasis on civilization. A method of introducing civilization is here given.
“The Teacher Who is Remembered”1
Authors: Wildman Clyde E.
Published: October 2011

The abiding qualities which combine to make a really great teacher of the languages and of any other subject.
Foreign Words in Everyday Reading Matter
Authors: Peacock Vera L.
Published: October 2011

Foreign words and phrases appear more frequently in American books and magazines than we realize. Why should we not use them to give interest and variety to our vocabulary building?
Professors of English and Functionalism
Authors: Withers A. M.
Published: October 2011

An appeal to professors of English to refresh their consciousness and their consciences with respect to the foreign‐language bases of English.
J' accuse
Authors: Hudson Margaret E.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— No subject except foreign language furnishes linguistic training. Teachers must seek to overcome the indolence natural to the human race.)
The Increase in Spanish in Michigan
Authors: Staubach Charles N.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— In view of the rapid changes brought about by the war much of the data presented here has but an historical value; it is published as a record which may be of use in making comparisons when schools and colleges have settled down into new patterns or have returned to “normal.” The report presents data on enrollments; teacher supply; motivations for the increase in Spanish; mortality after the first year; and some miscellaneous data.
Correlation, Not Compromise
Authors: Dean Ruth J.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— It is important that students understand France's varied contributions to civilization. A definite program of correlation with other courses, based on material written in French by French scholars, can enrich the students' comprehension of literature and help them appreciate the rôle of French thinkers in the other fields of their study, without detracting from the study of literature for its own sake.
There Is No Direct Method
Authors: Coss Joe Glenn
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— The “direct” method of teaching a foreign language is not direct so far as the initial presentation of the vocabulary is concerned.
Social Competence and the Study of Foreign Languages
Authors: Justman Joseph
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— The study of foreign languages is consistent with the ideal of social competence if teachers accept as their aim the mastery of language as a tool of understanding, and cease to regard the study of foreign languages as too difficult for all but the superior student. This article deals with the educational values of foreign language study, with the problem of popularizing foreign language study in the secondary school, and with the newer techniques which must be adopted if problems of teaching and learning are to be solved in terms of the goal of social competence.
Related Functions of Haber and Estar
Authors: Bull William E.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Haber and estar have come to an almost stable division of the locative field. The division of function which they now share is based on the concept of definiteness and indefiniteness. When the entity to be located is grammatically definite estar translates “to be”; when the entity is indefinite haber translates “to be.” This division of function contradicts the statement found in most grammars that haber “stresses mere existence.”
Our Objectives and a Plan for Their Better Distribution
Authors: Diez Max
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Pedagogical principles and educational policy dictate concentration on, and completion of, one skill at a time: a) a speaking knowledge of the foreign language in the high school; b) an adequate academic reading knowledge in the first college course; and c) a substantial course in literature in the second college year.
Toward a New Conception of Grammar
Authors: Bolinger Dwight L.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Grammar is one of the humanistic sciences, by reason of being, like sociology or political science, a description of human behavior. Its early formulation, however, fixed upon it the brand of non‐science. To free itself, it should be taught with foreign language and psychology more than with English.
The Use of the Critical Edition in Literary Translation
Authors: Rosenberg Ralph P.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— The failure of the English translators of Büchner's Dantons Tod to use the Bergemann critical edition gives rise to several defects in the translation.
The First Lesson in a Beginning Class
Authors: Barnstorff Hermann
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— A suggestion to use numbers as the first step to teach pronunciation of a foreign tongue.
Factors Contributing to Achievement in the Study of Elementary German*
Authors: Giesecke G. E. , Larsen R. P. , Wittenborn J. R.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Report of an experimental investigation with tabulated conclusions.
Language in the War*
Authors: Cross Ephraim
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Language is a powerful implement that has always moved men to speculate on its origin and marvel at its power. The United States is now operating in every segment of a globe of alien speech. To win the war and to fulfill its world mission the United States needs citizens who know the chief languages of every continent.
Foreign Language Grammar and Reflective Thinking
Authors: Coutant Victor
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— This brief list of possibilities for discussing reflective thinking in foreign language classes in connection with necessary work, with application in and out of the immediate area of study, can no doubt be extended by others. It is meant to be suggestive. Such activities would justify the foreign language teacher in thinking that he contributes to teaching reflective thinking, even though this contribution may be slight by comparison with the possibilities in English. It would not be the sole justification for teaching foreign language, but it would be an added contribution, which is sometimes claimed but often not lived up to in foreign language classes.
Some Reflections on the Use of Grammatical Terms
Authors: Rice Winthrop H.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Grammatical terms are not over the heads of high school pupils. They may well be used within reason, but must be properly defined.
A Method of Teaching German Conversation
Authors: Holzmann Albert W.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— The process of evolution and the method of conducting a course in German Conversation and Advanced Composition. Pictures form the basis for conversational practice. Essays are written on various topics. Original testing devices are employed. The method is equally applicable to other foreign languages.
The Future of Modern Language Teaching
Authors: Kurz Harry
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Report on the conference on teaching modern foreign languages called last spring by the Rockefeller Foundation.
Understanding Foreign Terms Used in English
Authors: Lindgren Henry C.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Students of French indicate a better understanding of French loanwords than do non‐French students. However, the question is whether this learning is as complete or as automatic as has been assumed by instructors.
The Teaching of Literature in Elementary Language Classes
Authors: Kurtz John W.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— A plea for the introduction of more reading material of high literary merit in elementary language classes, even in “simplified” and abridged editions, if necessary; together with suggestions for a type of approach—illustrated with extensive reference to Immensee—which would make the expedient of simplification and abridgment both feasible and tolerable.
Trends in Language Instruction
Authors: Brown J. L.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— A discussion of expansion in modern foreign language instruction caused by the war, its trends and effects.
Languages and the War Effort: Additional Remarks
Authors: Rogers Major Francis Millet
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— The following supplements the article published in the May issue and brings the tables contained therein up to date, in accordance with recent changes. It also illustrates that, in compiling vocabulary lists, a direct study of the foreign institution is essential.
“Short Time” Suggestions for Spanish Classes
Authors: Jackson Ruth C.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— A few minutes daily or several days during the term can be utilized to augment oral and aural control, to increase knowledge and understanding of the other American republics, and to bring language study closer to the daily lives of the students.
Spanish Instruction by Semidirect Method
Authors: Snow Frank E.
Published: October 2011

The present age demands the conquest of the spoken language. An efficient means to obtain this aim is the “semidirect method”: Classes are conducted in the foreign language with convenient interruptions in the student's native tongue to control his comprehension. An outline of this method as used at Quito, Ecuador. Necessary provisions in its adoption with U. S. students.
The Function of Languages in the Post‐War World
Authors: Pei Mario A.
Published: October 2011

An Address delivered at the Annual Meeting of the New England Modern Language Association at Boston University, Dec. 4, 1943.
The General Language Course in the College Curriculum
Authors: Muller Siegfried H.
Published: October 2011

Objectives of the purely cultural college course in General Language are broader than those of the corresponding secondary school course. While a vital function of the college course is the preparation of prospective language teachers, students of the social sciences should also derive benefits. Methods and subject matter depend on the level at which the course is given, but the pattern of instruction should be built around a survey of existing languages and their relationship and historical development without attempting a working knowledge of any particular language.
The Cleveland Plan for the Teaching of Foreign Languages
Authors: Pucciani Oreste F.
Published: October 2011

The article deals first with the historical development of the Cleveland Plan as it was conceived by Dr. E. B. Sauzé, its introduction into the university, then into the Cleveland schools. There follows a section on the methodology of the Plan, its application in the classroom and the proper use of the de Sauzé grammar: Cours pratique de français pour commençants. A final section treats of the administration and actual organization necessary for the functioning of the Plan, the provisions made in Cleveland for this, the French School at the summer session of Western Reserve University, the Demonstration School in French, German, Spanish and Italian. There is a résumé of the essential points by way of conclusion.
Some Difficulties in Defining Pronunciation on Paper
Authors: Condoyannis George E.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— The attempts at definition of foreign sounds in a recent popular book on language bring to mind the difficulties encountered in allowing for local variations in English. It is hoped that henceforth textbook authors will state what variety of English they are using as a standard of comparison.
Further Comment on “Ser” and “Estar” With Predicate Adjectives
Authors: Moellering William
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— The new principles for distinguishing the Spanish copulative verbs through speaker's subjective concept are born of sound linguistic analysis, but they need further refining to function serviceably as classroom guides to usage.
Nothing in Excess
Authors: Spurr Frederick S.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— In foreign language teaching as in many other fields, the world has tended to go from one extreme to another. During the past thirty years, the emphasis has frequently shifted, and many ideas, good per se, have been distorted by exaggeration. Like the ancient Athenians, we should try to find a golden mean.
General Considerations on Unit Lesson Plans in Modern Language Teaching
Authors: Rice Winthrop H.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— This is the introduction to a series of specimen lesson plans in modern language teaching. This article gives a general over‐view of the principles and purposes of lesson planning.
The Teaching of Conversation
Authors: Huebener Theodore
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— Conversation, although of unquestioned practical usefulness, cannot take the place of the broader cultural and educational aims of the course in foreign languages. Conversation can be taught only in gradual stages, since it depends upon vocabulary and grammar. Through constant practice the student may progress from simple, memorized dialogues to a free, spontaneous exchange of thoughts.
On Perusing the Contemporary Novels of French Canada
Authors: Michel Eleanor L.
Published: October 2011

The rôle of the land in the contemporary French‐Canadian novel is worthy of study. In turn, the earth is the consoler, the sorceress, the adversary, the friend, and the guide of man. On the other hand, man considers himself part of the land which he loves and in which he takes great pride.)
Wartime Development in Modern‐Language Achievement Testing
Authors: Kaulfers Walter V.
Published: October 2011

The theory and practice of aural‐comprehension and oral‐fluency testing illustrated with concrete examples.
Pontigny en Amérique
Authors: Dean Ruth J.
Published: October 2011

The annual “entretiens de Pontigny,” renewed at Mount Holyoke College, strengthen international understanding and contribute to maintaining free and constructive intellectual discussion in a world at war.
Vocabulary Learning Enjoyable Making a Proper Use of Proper Dictionaries
Authors: Liebesny Hugh J.
Published: October 2011

Individual vocabulary development and vocabulary learning need not necessarily mean toil and trouble. Origin, history and relationship of words, the close ties between English and French offer an invaluable help.
Appraisal and Presentation of an Intensive Course in German
Authors: Zech Adolph
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— The urgent need for oral aural language teaching deserves attention. The experiments of the ASTP had good and bad features. A proposal is made to salvage the workable elements of the Army Language Program for use in civilian classes in order to fulfill present and future needs.
Instrumental Grammar for Conversation
Authors: Kaulfers Walter V.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— The intellectual “jigsaw‐puzzle” conception of language‐learning contrasted with the “expanding snowball” conception in terms of a year's running‐unit in the basic essentials of grammar for conversation. Classroom‐tested procedures illustrated with specific suggestions for their use with large high‐school groups whenever specialized practice in grammar is actually needed as an aid in promoting ability to read write, and converse.
Notes on the Interrogative
Authors: Palamountain J. C.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— A survey of a number of plays and novels to determine the order of words in questions in contemporary French writing.
Standardized Tests for Aural Comprehension
Authors: Stroebe Lilian L.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— To test students' aural comprehension specially prepared gramophone records should be used.
Illustrative Material in Conversation Classes
Authors: Rose Ernst
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— Illustrative material can claim a central place in conversation classes for sound pedagogical as well as didactical reasons. The article discusses in detail its didactical value 1) in vocabulary building (the descriptive picture), 2) as a guide for conversation (the action picture), 3) as a purveyor of topics (the associative picture).
Report on the Teaching of Beginning Italian in the ASTP at The Ohio State University 1943–1944—Part I
Authors: Reichenberger Arnold G.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— The author describes the aural‐oral approach and considers the place of grammar in this method. He then tells about the texts chosen and their treatment in class. Finally, newspaper reading and talks in Italian by the students are discussed.
Place of Portuguese Studies in General Education*
Authors: Madden Marie R.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— This article urges the value of Portuguese studies in view of the contributions made by the Portuguese and Brazilians to international law and international relations, to colonization, to harmonizing race relations and to literature, and therefore recommends the inclusion of Portuguese studies in any program of general education.
Report on the Teaching of Beginning Italian in the ASTP at The Ohio State University 1943–1944—Part II
Authors: Reichenberger Arnold G.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— The author takes up the following means of supplementing basic classroom procedure: (1) dramatic skits; fiesta; (2) exchange of instructors; (3) native lecturers; (4) motion pictures; (5) phonograph records and magnetic tape recorder. The final section deals with testing devices. Samples of Aural Comprehension Test and Dictation are given. A paragraph on student‐teacher relations concludes the report.
A Reexamination of Objectives in Teaching Spanish
Authors: Singer Armand E.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— The recent trend toward more Spanish, especially spoken, fails to reckon cost or value. Basic error is failure to recognize complexity of the problem. Courses should reflect interests and abilities of students, geographical location of school. Emphasis on reading and civilization with some spoken and written work offers highest yield for modest investment, best integrates into a general cultural program.
A Note on “Pochismo”
Authors: Wilson William E.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— The fact that U.S. Border Patrol Trainees are expected to learn many pocho expressions is a reflection of the widespread usage of this hybrid language in the Southwest. Despite opposition on the part of Mexican intellectuals, it is slowly but surely being accepted by even the most conservative Mexican newspapers).
Universities and the Teaching of Italian Literature*
Authors: Toffanin Giuseppe
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— Professor Toffanin sees the inevitability of a change in the teaching of Italian literature in Italy as well as abroad. He contrasts the independent researchers of the XVIII century and the systematic researchers of the late XIX century. The latter worked as occupants of a university chair with more method but with less results than those often spurned academicians. Toffanin desires the strict method of his generation to be vivified by the genuine love for learning that characterized the criticism of such great XVIII century scholars as Muratori and Tiraboschi. Editor.
Experimental Program in Romance Languages at the University of Texas
Authors: Hamilton D. Lee
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— After a study begun in 1944 of its beginning program, the Department of Romance Languages of the University of Texas changed the externals of its first‐year courses. In 1946–47 it is beginning experimentation, to continue three years, designed to yield objective data on the results obtained by different methods.
Some Uses of the Blackboard in Foreign Language Classes
Authors: Armitage R. H.
Published: October 2011

Author's summary.— Use of available blackboard space during the first part of every recitation hour makes possible simultaneous participation of all students in worthwhile language activities. Free composition, rapid dictation, and various other dramatic exercises hold students' attention, provide for ear training, functional grammar, pronunciation, writing, and meaningful exchange of ideas.
The Teaching of Hebrew in American Universities
Authors: Katsh Abraham I.
Published: October 2011

Author's Summary— All important Universities in this country regarded Hebrew as essential to the training of their students. At least 95 secular institutions of higher learning in the United States provide instruction in Hebrew and a minimum of 265 accredit it for admission. The Hebrew courses follow one of several patterns. The new trend in the teaching of Hebrew studies, developed by New York University and followed by several other institutions, offers an opportunity for better intercultural education and human understanding.)
Targets for Our Aims
Authors: Kaulfers Walter V.
Published: October 2011

A good aim is of little use without a target or ammunition.

We must beware of pricing ourselves out of the market, or of locking ourselves up in our own walls—in isolation wards of our own creation.
The Need of a New Approach to Modern Language Study
Authors: Goggio Emilio
Published: October 2011

“By every language you learn, a new world is opened before you. It is like being born again; and new ideas break upon the mind with all the freshness and delight with which we may suppose the first dawn of the intellect to be accompanied.”
Annotated Bibliography of Modern Language Methodology for 1952
Authors: Van Eenenaam Evelyn
Published: October 2011

“It is ironical, to say the least, that at a time when the United States needs more and more citizens trained in a dozen foreign languages to enable it to deal politically, economically, culturally with the nations of the earth, so many educators are continuing to prate away about the uselessness of foreign language instruction in the schools and colleges. If in the past such instruction has seemed useless for Americans in view of few subsequent opportunities or inducements to read and speak foreign languages, it must be admitted that many more opportunities and inducements now exist in the postwar world…. It is high time that schools and colleges begin looking again at what is going on in the second half of the twentieth century. ‘Education for living’ in this period obviously should include more and more foreign language instruction.”
The Siebs and the Moulton
Authors: Koekkoek B. J.
Published: October 2011

Book reviewed in this article:

Siebs, Deutsche Aussprache. Reine und gemäßigle Hochlautung mit Aussprachewörterbuch. Edited by Helmut de Boor, Hugo Moser and Christian Winkler. 19th, revised edition. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1969. Pp. ix+494. DM32.
The Teaching of Minority Languages as Academic Subjects: Pedagogical and Theoretical Challenges
Authors: VALDÉS GUADALUPE
Published: October 2011

This article raises questions about the practice of teaching minority (ethnic/immigrant) languages as academic subjects in multilingual settings and points to directions in which the field of applied linguistics must move in order to develop adequate principles of language learning that can support such instruction. The article consists of three principle sections. Section one defines the term “linguistic minority” and offers examples of linguistic minority populations. Section two describes the teaching of Spanish to bilingual‐Spanish‐speaking students in the United States. It then illustrates the broad problems and questions encountered in teaching minority languages as school subjects by drawing on the discussion of the history, development, and current status of the teaching of Spanish to bilingual minorities in the U.S. Section three proposes a reconceptualization of the language teaching focus within applied linguistics that takes into account the problems and challenges surrounding the teaching of minority languages.
The Effects of Grammar Supplementation on Written Accuracy in an Intermediate Spanish Content Course
Authors: FRANTZEN DIANA
Published: October 2011

Two sections of an intermediate Spanish content course were supplemented with grammar (daily grammar review and error correction feedback on written work); two comparison group sections lacked the grammar component. Two written pre‐/posttests—one grammar‐focused, one integrative (an essay)—showed that both groups exhibited significant improvement over the semester in overall grammatical accuracy on both instruments. The plus‐grammar group significantly outperformed the nongrammar group on the grammar‐focused instrument but not on the integrative one. A few between‐group differences occurred on the essays, but there was no tendency for one group to outperform the other. The results suggest that a grammar review is a beneficial supplement to a content course when performance on grammar‐focused tests is important, but that an intermediate level content course by itself can promote significant improvement in grammatical accuracy in writing in the target language.
Field Independence/Dependence, Hemispheric Specialization, and Attitude in Relation to Pronunciation Accuracy in Spanish as a Foreign Language
Authors: ELLIOTT A. RAYMOND
Published: October 2011

Sixty‐six intermediate students studying Spanish at Indiana University were measured on 12 variables believed to be related to pronunciation accuracy. The students' pronunciation was rated by three judges. Variables that related most to pronunciation accuracy were: (a) attitude or individual concern for pronunciation; (b) subject's degree of field independence (FI) as measured by the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) (Witkin et al., 1971); and (c) subject's degree of right hemispheric specialization (RT) in relation to accurate pronunciation on a free‐speech exercise. Variables that proved to have little or no relationship to pronunciation were: (a) left/integrated hemispheric specialization, (b) gender, (c) foreign travel, (d) other languages learned/spoken, (e) overall Grade Point Average (GPA), (f) GPA in Spanish, and (g) having Spanish‐speaking relatives. The relationship between pronunciation accuracy and subjects' total number of years of formal instruction in Spanish approached significance; however, this relationship was lost in a multiple regression analysis when factors such as attitude and FI were taken into consideration. The results suggest that although FI and RT hemispheric specialization relate to accurate target language pronunciation in certain tasks, attitude or concern for pronunciation accuracy proved to be the most significant factor. Finally, a classroom model of pronunciation instruction is posited, as well as implications for future research.
Positive Attitudes and Realistic Beliefs: Links to Proficiency
Authors: MANTLE‐BROMLEY CORINNE
Published: October 2011

Middle‐school‐aged students in 12 classes of a 9‐week Foreign Language Exploratory (FLEX) program participated in a study attempting to maintain and/or to improve students' attitudes toward French and Spanish speakers, replicating an earlier study (Mantle‐Bromley & Miller, 1991) of first‐year Spanish students. Students in the treatment group participated in culture‐related lessons that used attitude‐change theory in their design. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) procedures showed that the experimental group's mean score on a modified version of the Attitudes and Motivation Test Battery (AMTB) (Gardner, Smythe, & Clément, 1974) was significantly greater than that of students in the control group (p < .05). In addition, using the Beliefs about Language Learning Inventory (BALLI) (Horwitz, 1988), the study measured, in an exploratory fashion, students' beliefs about the language learning process. Results demonstrated that many young students enter their first language class with misconceptions about language learning that may hinder their progress and persistence in language study.
MLJ Reviews
Authors: BIRCKBICHLER DIANE W.
Published: October 2011

Book reviewed in this article:

BHATIA, VIJAY K. Analysing Genre: Language Use in Professional Settings.

Grammar and The Language Teacher. Ed. Martin Bygate, Alan Tonkyn & Eddie Williams.

COOK, VIVIAN. Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition.

DRUM, JAN, STEVE HUGHES, & GEORGE OTERO. Global Winners: 74 Learning Activities for Inside and Outside the Classroom.

LIGHTBOWN, PATSY & NINA SPADA. How Languages Are Learned.

NICHOLAS, JOE. Language Diversity Surveys as Agents of Change.

Collaborative Language Learning and Teaching. Ed. David Nunan.

PIATT, BILL. Language on the Job: Balancing Business Needs and Employee Rights.

SALEEMI, ANJUM P. Universal Grammar and Language Learnability.

Research Methodology in Second‐Language Acquisition. Ed. Elaine E. Tarone, Susan M. Gass & Andrew Cohen.

Reading Acquisition Processes. Ed. G. Brian Thompson, William E. Tunmer, & Tom Nicholson.

Kontroversen in der Fremdsprachenforschung. Ed. Johannes‐Peter Timm & Helmut Johannes Vollmer.

KING, ALAN R. The Basque Language.

Bilingual Performance in Reading and Writing. Ed. Alister H. Cumming.

The Celtic Languages. Ed. Martin J. Ball.

FOLSE, KEITH S. The University of Michigan Press: Intermediate TOEFL Test Practices.

MCDONOUGH, JO & CHRISTOPHER SHAW. Materials and Methods in ELT: A Teacher's Guide.

MURPHY, RAYMOND. Basic Grammar in Use.

ARIEW, ROBERT & ANNE NERENZ. Premiers Echanges.

NERENZ, ANNE & KATHERINE KULICK. Premiers Echanges: Cahier d'activités orales et écrites.

Premiers Echanges: Tapescript for the Audio Tape Program.

HOLTKAMP, MONIQUE & VIRGINIA M. SCOTT. Premiers Echanges: Testing Program.

DAVIS, JAMES N. Liens: lectures diverses.

HAMMADOU, JOANN. Liens: par écrit.

LIVELY, MADELEINE, MARY K. WILLIAMS & JANE HARPER. Liens: en paroles.

GAENG, PAUL A. Le Monde de l'entreprise française: Initiation au langage des affaires.

HEMINGWAY, ALICE. Living Language French All the Way.

LEPETIT, DANIEL. Intonation française. Enseignement et apprentissage.

Qu'est‐ce que le style?

RENNER, H., U. RENNER & G. TEMPESTA. Le Français de l'hôtellerie et de la restauration.

SCHOFER, PETER & DONALD RICE. Autour de la littérature.

TERRELL, TRACY D., MARY B. ROGERS, BETSY K. BARNES & MARGUERITE WOLFF‐HESSINI. Deux Mondes: A Communicative Approach.

GRIESBACH, HEINZ & GUDRUN UHLIG. Die starken Verben im Sprachgebrauch: Syntax‐Valenz‐Kollokationen.

Dancing on the Volcano. Essays on the Culture of the Weimar Republic. Ed. Thomas W. Kniesche & Stephen Brockmann.

ASHBY, JANET. Read Real Japanese.

HUDSON, MUTSUKO ENDO. English Grammar for Students of Japanese.

Framing in Discourse. Ed. Deborah Tannen.

PRETO‐RODAS, RICHARD A., ALFRED HOWER, & CHARLES A. PERRONE. Crônicas Brasileiras: Nova Fase.

SILVERMAN, MALCOLM. Imagens Jornalísticas Brasileiras. An Intermediate to Advanced Portuguese Reader.

DERBYSHIRE, WILLIAM W. A Basic Reference Grammar of Slovene.

CERRUDO, JOSE. Spanish for the Health Professional.

LEVENSON, ANA I. & SUSAN EGGLY. Gramática española para estudiantes de inglés.
Embedded Clause Effects on Recall: Does High Prior Knowledge of Content Domain Overcome Syntactic Complexity in Students of Spanish?
Authors: BARRY SUE , LAZARTE ALEJANDRO A.
Published: October 2011

This study tested the effect of embedded clauses on recall for English‐speaking high school students reading Spanish historical texts. Twenty‐four students with high prior knowledge of Incan history and 24 with low prior knowledge read texts concerning the Incas. Three levels of syntactic complexity were defined: Level I (LI) contained the essential ideas for the topic; Level II (LII) embedded one clause with nonessential information within LI sentences; and Level III (LIII) embedded an additional clause within LII sentences. A significant decrease in the recall of the essential propositions occurred as the level of syntactic complexity increased. Readers with high prior knowledge recalled significantly more of the essential information for LI and LII. However, recall scores for the essential propositions in LIII were nearly equal to those for the low prior‐knowledge group. In conclusion, the study found that complexity of sentence structure seemed to cancel the advantage of previous exposure to the content domain.
The Role of Elaborations in L2 Text Memory: The Effect of Encoding Task on Recall of Causally Related Sentences
Authors: HORIBA YUKIE
Published: October 2011

To achieve coherence in a text representation, the reader must encode not only the ideas and events explicitly presented in sentences but also relations that link ideas and events. The research reported in this article was designed to investigate the relationships between the process of encoding and the resulting comprehension and representation of second language (L2) sentences that are causally related. Participants read sentence pairs varying in degree of causal relatedness and recalled one sentence of each pair when the other was given as a cue 24 hours later. When they generated an elaboration for each pair, recall was better than when they studied the pair for memorization. Recall as a function of degree of causal relatedness differed between the two encoding conditions. In the study condition, highly related sentences were generally recalled better than less related sentences. In the elaboration condition, recall for minimally related pairs was better than that for moderately related pairs and as good as that for highly related pairs. The results suggest that integration and elaboration had a critical effect on L2 readers' comprehension and memory of the sentences. The effect of processing efforts and reconstructive strategies are also discussed.
L2 Word Recognition Research: A Critical Review
Authors: KODA KEIKO
Published: October 2011

The major purpose of this paper is to explore conceptual syntheses that advance second language (L2) word recognition research and, in so doing, uncover new agendas relating to cross‐linguistic examinations of L2 processing. The paper first describes connections between word recognition and reading and the specific ways in which efficient word recognition contributes to comprehension performance. It then provides a brief overview of the connectionist construct and an expanded consideration of word recognition skills development from this vantage point. Further, it illustrates cross‐linguistic variations in word recognition processes by comparing and contrasting response patterns among readers in different orthographic systems. Finally, the paper explores conceptual frameworks for L2 word recognition, through which ongoing L2 empirical studies are subsequently examined.
L2 Reading Ability: Further Insight into the Short‐circuit Hypothesis
Authors: TAILLEFER GAIL F.
Published: October 2011

The notion of a language proficiency threshold that short circuits the transfer of reading ability from the native language (L1) to foreign or second language (L2) reading was first discussed by Clarke in 1979 and later by Laufer and Sim (1985), Carrell (1991), and Bossers (1992). Questions remain as to the precise interaction of L1 reading ability and L2 proficiency in L2 reading comprehension, notably in different kinds of reading tasks. These two factors functioned as independent variables in this study wherein 53 French university students read preprofessional English texts. Both cognitive complexity of tasks and students' L2 proficiency levels were allowed to vary, and although both predictor variables showed statistically significant relationships to the dependent variable, their relative importance appeared to depend on the reading task as well as on the readers' L2 proficiency. The more difficult the task, the more important L2 knowledge became, but it could not be affirmed that L1 reading ability gains importance as L2 language proficiency increases toward threshold level. Finally, French students were compared with a similar sample of 28 native speakers. Pedagogical implications revolve around adapting teaching to reading purposes and to strategy training.
Attitudes and Achievements in the First Year of German Language Instruction in Dutch Secondary Education
Authors: KUHLEMEIER HANS , VAN DEN BERGH HUUB , MELSE LEIJN
Published: October 2011

This article reports a study of the relationship between students' attitudes toward the subject of German, the course material, and the teacher and students' achievements in German as a foreign language. Attitudes and achievements were measured at the beginning and end of the first year of German (i.e., the second year of Dutch secondary school). As expected, students who had a positive attitude rated higher in achievement than those having negative attitudes, both at the beginning and at the end of the school year. Direct (causal) effects of students' attitudes on achievement (and vice versa) could not be established. Students enrolled in a communicative course had a more positive attitude toward their course material than those studying in a grammatically oriented course.
A Comparative Study Using Illustrations, Brainstorming, and Questions as Advance Organizers in Intermediate College German Conversation Classes
Authors: TEICHERT HERMAN U.
Published: October 2011

This research compared student performance in listening comprehension when three advance organizers plus video were used as opposed to when neither advance organizers nor video‐ and audiotapes were used. The participants were 50 English‐speaking college students enrolled in three sections of intermediate German conversation. All three sections used print materials as the primary source for conversation topics, small group activities, and vocabulary development. Students in the experimental group used illustrations, brainstorming, and questions as advance organizers plus audio‐ and videotapes to gain access to the topic and to interact with each other. Findings indicated that students in the experimental group developed superior listening skills. These results may be interpreted as evidence that multiple advance organizers plus audio and video can enhance listening comprehension at the intermediate level of German.
What Influences What and How Second and Foreign Language Teachers Teach?
Authors: CROOKES GRAHAM
Published: October 2011

This article discusses certain influences on second and foreign language (S/FL) teachers and their teaching. I take the social contexts of teaching in schools as of primary concern because despite claims that teaching is a profession, its members often operate under conditions of far less autonomy than many of those in more prestigious professions. I go on to consider both the negative and positive aspects of the role of administrations on S/FL teachers and suggest administrative support for teacher development as an important means to improvement. The article also discusses FL teacher education and research in light of various criticisms that have been levelled at it and introduces the additional perspective of critical applied linguistics, which, I argue, may help to rectify some of the problems.
Using Greetings to Teach Cultural Understanding
Authors: SCHLEICHER ANTONIA FOLARIN
Published: October 2011

Sociolinguistic journals and books are inundated with issues regarding greetings and forms of address. In these works, the major concern has been to analyze the word or words used to refer to someone greeted. Others have also looked at issues of familiarity, reciprocity, politeness, gestures, and respect in regard to greetings. However, despite this sizable literature, little or nothing has been done with respect to cultural information provided in the language of greetings. This paper looks at the role Yoruba greetings play in understanding the culture of the speakers. It also illustrates that Yoruba greetings do more than establish an atmosphere of sociability; they also communicate cultural information and serve as value reinforcement for participants and observers. Therefore, teaching greetings in Yoruba goes beyond teaching the meanings of the greetings. It also involves teaching Yoruba learners the link between words and cultural content. Various examples of greetings and accounts of personal experience could be useful in methods courses to illustrate the interaction of words and actions in a cultural frame.
Cooperative Learning, Collaborative Learning, and Interaction: Three Communicative Strands in the Language Classroom
Authors: OXFORD REBECCA L.
Published: October 2011

This article describes important distinctions among three strands of communication in the foreign or second language (L2) classroom: cooperative learning, collaborative learning, and interaction. These three strands have different connotations, which, when understood, can help us better comprehend language learning and teaching. Cooperative learning refers to a particular set of classroom techniques that foster learner interdependence as a route to cognitive and social development. Collaborative learning has a “social constructivist” philosophical base, which views learning as construction of knowledge within a social context and which therefore encourages acculturation of individuals into a learning community. Interaction is the broadest of the three terms and refers to personal communication, which is facilitated by an understanding of four elements: language tasks, willingness to communicate, style differences, and group dynamics.
Word Recognition among Learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language: Investigating the Relationship between Naming and Knowing
Authors: EVERSON MICHAEL E.
Published: October 2011

For students whose first language (L1) employs an alphabetic writing system, learning to read Chinese is especially challenging due to the nonalphabetic nature of its orthography. Because Chinese characters represent the spoken language in a largely irregular and unsystematic manner, it is important to establish the extent to which beginning Chinese language learners rely upon their developing spoken language resources when identifying Chinese word meanings. To investigate this relationship between speech and meaning, a word recognition study was conducted whereby 20 beginning learners of Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) were required to pronounce and later identify in English 46 Chinese words. The correlational analysis indicated a significant relationship between being able to pronounce and being able to identify Chinese words. Implications for theory building and pedagogical application are discussed.
Student Motivation, Parental Attitudes, and Involvement in the Learning of Asian Languages in Elementary and Secondary Schools
Authors: SUNG HYEKYUNG , PADILLA AMADO M.
Published: October 2011

This study examined the motivation held by 140 elementary‐ and 451 secondary‐level students toward the learning of Chinese, Japanese, or Korean in formal classroom settings in public schools. Information was also gathered from 847 parents concerning their attitudes toward foreign language (FL) learning and involvement in their child's language study. The findings revealed that elementary students were more motivated overall toward Asian language study than were older students. Younger students also perceived their parents as more involved in their language study than did high school students. A factor labeled “Ethnic Heritage‐Related Motivation” emerged as a major contributory influence in students' learning an Asian language. This was especially true at the elementary school level and also in the Korean and Chinese programs. The findings further revealed that female students, regardless of grade level or language program type, reported significantly higher motivation to learn an Asian language. Finally, elementary school parents had more positive attitudes toward FL learning and were more involved in the child's language study than were parents of high school students. However, there was no parental gender difference in attitudes or involvement.