Encouraging Critical Collaborative Autonomy
Tim Murphey Nanzan University
George M. Jacobs SEAMEO Regional Language Centre

In this theory-building review essay, we advocate that second language teachers encourage their students to act critically, cooperatively, and autonomously. We discuss the three components of critical collaborative autonomy, explain why these components fit together, and present ideas for promoting their interaction and development. Being autonomous does not necessarily mean learning in isolation, but rather having the ability to metacognitively and critically make decisions as to the means one uses to learn and develop. It is our contention that students learn autonomy more quickly through guided cooperative learning in which they collaborate with peers to find and create their autonomous and critical voices. The incremental assuming of control of oneÕs language learning within a community not only accelerates acquisition but changes group and individual personalities. While we focus principally on this process in second language acquisition, we also briefly address the wider sociocultural, political, and philosophical nature of such effort.

Evidence of Accommodation to L2 Pragmatic Norms in Peer Review Tasks of Japanese Learners of English
Virginia LoCastro Universidad de las Americas, Puebla, Mexico

This paper reports on a project examining written peer reviews by Japanese learners of English and is a partial replication of a study conducted by Johnson (1992) on compliments and politeness in peer reviews of native English speaker writers. In addition, this project focuses on the effect of instruction. The literature on the teaching of L2 pragmatic norms, particularly in a foreign language environment, lacks information on the effect of instruction in academic writing skills on the learners' production, a lack which this study attempts to remedy. The first aim is to assess the learners' use of the speech acts of complimenting, agreeing and disagreeing, and making corrections, as well as the complimenting discourse strategies the learners used when correcting their peers' texts. The second aim is to assess the effects of writing instruction administered within the learners' Intensive English Program. The effect of instruction is examined specifically with regards to the use of the syntactico-semantic device "I think."

The Impact of Input Modifications on Listening Comprehension: A Study of Learner Perceptions
Chloe Gallien, University of Abertay, Dundee
Sabine Hotho, University of Abertay, Dundee
Harry Staines, University of Abertay, Dundee

This paper investigates the impact of modified and authentic aural input on the perceptions of language learners in the classroom. The study is premised on the assumption that research perspectives need to differentiate between the conditions of second language learning in naturalistic and instructed or foreign language (FL) contexts. It is proposed that research into the role of input in foreign language learning must include the study of learner perceptions of, or attitudes to, different types of input as this is one of the crucial classroom variables which influences the process and outcome of learning. This article describes a study which was carried out over a period of eight weeks to explore the frequently made claim that authentic listening comprehension materials elicit more favorable attitudes from FL learners than mechanically or linguistically simplified--and supposedly more comprehensible--input. The subjects were university students of French and German. The findings of this limited study indicate that learners differentiate in their perception of input depending on the nature and presentation of input modifications. This has implications for the FL classroom and for future research in the field.

Concepts of EFL Reading among Taiwanese College Students of Low Reading Proficiency
Hui-Lung Chia, Chung-Shan Medical & Dental College
Hui-Uen Chia, Wu-Feng Junior College of Technology & Commerce

This study is an empirical and descriptive exploration of EFL reading concepts held by Taiwanese college students of low reading proficiency. Fifty subjects were selected according to their reading comprehension scores on the Secondary Level English Proficiency Test and were scheduled for interviews. Forty-five subjects took part in the interviews and their responses were tape-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The results indicate that there are certain concepts about EFL reading which are shared by the subjects. Generally they showed little awareness of independent, internally generated repair strategies, tended to process EFL reading at word level in a rather analytical fashion, and mainly viewed EFL reading as a language learning exercise. Several strategies reflecting this restricted view of reading are identified. The paper concludes with a discussion of pedagogical implications.

Research Forum

Using Item Response Theory to Refine Placement Decisions
Greta J. Gorsuch, Texas Tech University
Brent Culligan, Aoyama Gakuin Women's Junior College

This study explores the use of Item Response Theory (IRT) or Rasch analysis in making placement decisions. The general principles underlying population-dependent classical theory standard analyses (including standard error of measure) and population-independent IRT analyses are compared and are used to point out the shortcomings of the classical analyses in making accurate placement decisions. Two sets of hypothetical cut points based on raw scores and Rasch-generated student ability estimates were applied to a set of data (n = 487) and placement decisions using the two sets of cut points were compared. Twenty discrepancies were found, meaning that five percent of the students were potentially misplaced when using their raw scores. This information may be valuable for test administrators who want to make student placements based on test results with the least amount of measurement error.

Perspectives

Is English Cinderella, a Kidnapped or Adopted Child, or Godzilla? Diverse Perspectives and Pedagogical Conflicts
Hideo Horibe, Hiroshima Institute of Technology

This paper reviews recent literature in both English and Japanese addressing issues concerning the spread of English as an international language. It categorizes diverse perspectives on this subject in accordance with a set of metaphors: Cinderella, a kidnapped or adopted child, and the monster Godzilla.1 The paper then highlights some pedagogical conflicts derived from this diversity of perspectives and closely examines how such conflicts are reflected in the teaching of English in the Japanese education system. In conclusion, the author suggests that this set of metaphors can provide a good framework for discussing the future direction of English education in Japan.

Why Use Ads in the Foreign Language Classroom?
Jonathan D. Picken, Tsuda College