Book Review: The Strange Career of Bilingual Education in Texas

Arriving in Texas as a recently graduated Title VII Bilingual Education Doctoral Fellow in the latter part of 1980, I was particularly eager to learn more about the history of bilingual education in the state, especially the strange career alluded to in this volume\u27s title. Before my arrival, I had worked in bilingual education in Illinois and western New York. Was the history of bilingual education in Texas stranger than in other states

Book Review: The Strange Career of Bilingual Education in Texas

Arriving in Texas as a recently graduated Title VII Bilingual Education Doctoral Fellow in the latter part of 1980, I was particularly eager to learn more about the history of bilingual education in the state, especially the strange career alluded to in this volume\u27s title. Before my arrival, I had worked in bilingual education in Illinois and western New York. Was the history of bilingual education in Texas stranger than in other states

Advanced EFL learners' beliefs about language learning and teaching: a comparison between grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary

This paper reports on the results of a study exploring learners’ beliefs on the learning and teaching of English grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary at tertiary level. While the importance of learners’ beliefs on the acquisition process is generally recognized, few studies have focussed on and compared learners’ views on different components of the language system. A questionnaire containing semantic scale and Likert scale items probing learners’ views on grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary was designed and completed by 117 native speakers of Dutch in Flanders, who were studying English at university. The analysis of the responses revealed that (i) vocabulary was considered to be different from grammar and pronunciation, both in the extent to which an incorrect use could lead to communication breakdown and with respect to the learners’ language learning strategies, (ii) learners believed in the feasibility of achieving a native-like proficiency in all three components, and (iii) in-class grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary exercises were considered to be useful, even at tertiary level. The results are discussed in light of pedagogical approaches to language teaching