ITL - International Journal of Applied Linguistics - Volume 137, Issue 1, 2002

This paper investigates the authenticity of conversational texts, particularly direction-giving interactions in Korean high school English textbooks. Previous studies (e.g., PEARSON & LEE 1992; SCOTTON & BERNSTEN 1986) of natural conversations of direction-giving have shown that the structure of native speakers' direction-giving turns is highly formulaic. They are composed of four main moves: 'insertion sequence' (SCHEGLOFF 1972), a set of directions, pre-closing, and closing. In addition, realizations of the moves were very much uniform across the studies.

The study demonstrates that 7 7 direction-giving interactions of the textbooks fall short of the features of authentic direction-giving. Specifically, the moves before or after a set of directions are usually not included, especially insertion sequence and pre-closing. Also, the forms of directives in a sequence of directions are more in favor of bald imperative than in naturalistic data. It is argued that in order to help language learners be better equipped to function outside the classroom, textbook conversations should reflect not the authors’ introspection but naturally occurring conversations.

Phrasal verbs are widely acknowledged as being a notoriously difficult area of language for learners of English. The tendency in the past has been to regard them as arbitrary items of language that must simply be learned by heart. As an alternative to the rote memorisation of random lists of phrasal verbs, the Collins COBUILD dictionary of phrasal verbs has set out its own approach. Yet another alternative can be found within the framework of cognitive linguistics. In this paper the two approaches are described and compared. We then set out and discuss the results of tests carried out with two groups of learners, where one group had used the Collins approach and the other a cognitive approach in order to learn phrasal verbs. The results point to the need for further research.

This study investigates current reading instruction in ESP. Specifically, it studies what has changed and what has not in a context where explication de texte used to be a major asset in teaching English as a foreign language. Four-point scale questionnaires were gathered from 13 secondary school inspectors, 65 ESP teachers and 94 students. They were asked about using texts to (a) teach grammar and vocabulary, and (b) practice reading strategies (careful reading, skimming, reading from beginning to end and reading only beginnings and ends). To shed additional light on these areas, we asked them three further questions on (c) reading aloud, (d) text length, and (e) time given to read a one-page text. Results showed that although, on some items, some movement away from the traditional approach has been recorded, the majority of reading instruction is still under the spell of explication de texte. This paper suggests that EFL science students need more in terms of reading strategies, if we want to make of them operational readers of literature in their field of study.

The relativist point of view in the study of language spreads all throughout the history of linguistics dressed up in different colours. After some time in which this perspective of linguistic analysis had been dismissed, it is nowadays that its survival is taking place. In this sense, we should turn to linguistics as the general framework in order to find the reasons that justify the renovated interest in the mentioned topic. In doing so, we will show that relativist focus will act as a profitable perspective. Its capability of adjusting to the most recent directions in modern linguistics explains how relativist point of view can contribute important data into other linguistic fields of study. The integration of both sociocultural and neurologic aspects on the one hand, the absorption of knowledge from other disciplines on the other, and finally, the empirical experimentation as the best research method, turn into the most important features that define linguistic relativity at the moment.

This paper deals with approximations in the impromptu speech of Congolese students of English. The paucity of vocabulary knowledge prompts foreign language learners to fall back on readily accessible resources in spontaneous speech, such as approximations. The latter are characteristic of an elementary stage in target language development, their frequency relatively decreasing with advanced students. Approximations can be accounted for in terms of communication strategies and in the light of semantic findings. In respect of semantics, three categories of approximations are distinguished : superordinate terms, hyponyms, and cohyponyms. Approximations in a foreign language setting may stem from teachers' negative attitude to vocabulary instruction and from learners' inadequate input. Another source is passive vocabulary, which causes retrieval problems. To minimize this situation, teachers must pay particular attention to vocabulary instruction by teaching vocabulary systematically, rather than leaving it to develop independently.

This paper brings a quantitative and qualitative study of the proficiency of bilingual children in plural formation in Tarifit-berber. These children were born and live in the Netherlands. Besides, a monolingual group in Morocco was submitted to the same plural task. The group in Morocco is used in this study as a reference group.

The expectations about the performances of the two groups are built on two facts. The first, the plural system of Tarifit-Berber is a complex one. Second, children born and grown up in migration (the Netherlands in this case) have a reduced input in their parents' language (Tarifit-Berber). The bilingual children in The Netherlands are expected to have more difficulties in performing the task. The study is intended to show how the two groups performed in the task, types of difficulties faced, commonalities and differences between them.