In this article, the author discusses the traditional primacy of form over content in foreign language teaching and argues that viewing content learning as the learning of facts goes against the wider goals of education. He uses the metaphors of "tourist" and "explorer" to describe the distinction between memorizing linguistic forms and cultural facts in contrast to using the second language to explore a different culture. He demonstrates this with the example of a German-US student e-mail exchange project, and asserts that critical thinking and reflective learning can better promote both language proficiency and intercultural understanding. (Foreign Language Annals. Vol 29. No 1. 1996 [abstracted in Language Teaching. Vol 29. No 3. July 1996])

This article describes a survey of the discourse roles of men and women in the dialogues of two modern Greek-as-a-foreign-language conversation textbooks. The survey focussed on (a) the amount of speech by each gender; (b) the number of initiating / final utterances by each sex, (c) gender and language functions (informational/social/directive/expressive) in the dialogues. The author found that overall men speakers in the textbooks spoke more, produced more initial/final utterances and gave more information/directions while women speakers made more requests. The author warned about the implications of making male/female students practice and/or memorize sexist textbook dialogues, and gave suggestions for subverting these through reversing sex roles (so female students read out male roles), role-playing more empowering situations and roles, and having students rewrite sexist dialogues. (Language Learning Journal. No 15. March 1997)

This article describes the unique experiences of a Nigerian teaching English in Poland. The author talks about the surprise his Polish EFL students get when they come into the English classroom expecting a "white" lecturer and find instead a "black" man. He discusses how his English courses have become extremely popular, not only because of the colour of his skin but also because of the strong feeling of empathy he builds with his students (he memorizes and uses the first names of all 200 of his students), his focus on communicative activities dealing with real life issues (sex, money, career, relationships, family), his warm sense of humour and his obvious love of his students, his subject and teaching. (IATEFL Newsletter. No. 136. April-May 1997)

According to a 1996 Associated Press article, scholars believe 90% of human languages may disappear by the mid-21st century, pushed to oblivion by the spread of English and other "world" languages via media, trade and migration, and by the pressure of dominant vernaculars in their homelands. In America, more than 150 native languages (down from 400 when Columbus arrived) are in decline. In India, 149 languages are considered endangered. Extinction looms even in Europe: Only 200 Cornish speakers remain in England. A thin, underfinanced line of linguists around the world is trying to hold back the tide and save - or at least document - many of these tongues. Linguist Daryl Pfantz laments, "When the last speaker of a language dies off, it's like burning a library building." (Modern Language Journal. Vol 81. No 1. Spring 1997)

In this article, the author argues for adding a moral dimension to the language classroom through teaching students the ethics of communication and encouraging them to respond truthfully to classroom language questions. He criticizes the common attitude of some teachers "Who cares if pupils make up answers as long as they're practicing the target language" and stresses the moral loss that occurs when pupils learn to associate the foreign language with the exchange of trivial, untrue or unimportant information rather than as a means for conveying truthful information and respect for others. (Language Learning Journal. No 15. March 1997)

Newsletter #27
Global Issues SIG Newsletter Index

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www.jalt.org/global/27Abs.htm