| VOLUME 34, No. 4 - July/August 2001 |
Foreign Language Teaching Style and Personality
Thomas C. Cooper, University of Georgia
Abstract: Every foreign language teacher develops a teaching style of pedagogical activities and techniques that especially matches his or her personality. In this study, the author administered a Teaching Activity Preference (TAP) Questionnaire to ascertain how well teaching preferences fit personality type as determined by the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The principal findings of the study were: (1) the type distribution among preservice foreign language students in the sample confirmed the pattern found by other studies of foreign language teachers, a group of individuals with a high proportion of feeling types; (2) the TAP Questionnaire distinguished the personality types from one another; and (3) the TAP Questionnaire indicated that preferred teaching activities usually matched the personality dimensions of the participant. Some of the pedagogical implications for foreign language teachers are discussed. (pgs 301-317)
Integrating Technology and Classroom Assessment
Tony Spanos, Cheryl Hansen and Erika Daines
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Second Language Reading Research on Passage Content and Gender: Challenges for the Intermediate-Level Curriculum
Cindy Brantmeier, Washington University
Abstract: Second language (L2) reading research has shown that content schemata significantly influence comprehension. However, a careful examination of available studies reveals disparities among research methods and procedures, thus making it difficult to formulate theories for re-examining the intermediate-level course, where the reading of lengthy, authentic texts begins. To complicate matters further, females begin to outnumber males at the intermediate level, and this gap widens at the advanced levels (Chavez, 2001). This article — through a careful review of the relevant literature — shows that much of the L2 reading process at the intermediate level remains unexplained. Finally, a call for more research at the intermediate level that examines key variables, such as passage content and gender, is made. (pgs 325-333)
Mexican Managers’ Perceptions of Cultural Competence
Christine Uber Grosse, Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management
Abstract: The Standards for Foreign Language Learning set interconnected goal areas of communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. Information from this research project will help foreign language instructors and cross-cultural trainers gain a better understanding of the types of cultural knowledge needed by business people, specifically in Mexico but with applicability throughout Latin America and in other parts of the world. In this study, 47 global managers in Mexico identify what their U.S. counterparts should know about Mexican culture to do business effectively. In some respects, U.S. and Mexican cultures are almost direct opposites. The most striking differences cited relate to the following five areas: building business relationships; attitudes toward time; family and religious values; communication patterns; and government –business relations. An understanding of these basic cultural differences will help U.S. managers and business and language students work more effectively with Mexican associates. (pgs 334-340)
Cross-Cultural E-Mail: Providing Cultural Input for the Advanced Foreign Language Student
M. Karen Jogan, Albright College; Ana Heredia H., Universidad de Tarapacá; Gladys Aguilera M., Universidad de Tarapacá
Abstract: This article describes a cross-cultural e-mail exchange that provided students in the United States and Chile with an ongoing source of authentic cultural input from the target country. The exchange was organized between a class of U.S. college students of advanced Spanish conversation and composition and a class of Chilean university students of advanced English as a Foreign Language. Student-to-student dialog journals exchanged by e-mail in both Spanish and English served as the basis for feedback and cultural commentary from the peer abroad. The cultural input received was observed in the written and oral work of U.S. students participating in this project. (pgs 341-346)
Learning Language at a Distance: An Arabic Initiative
Mahdi Alosh, The Ohio State University
Abstract: This article describes an Arabic distance-learning course initiative. The most common distance-learning formats are reviewed, and justifications for offering such courses are considered. Next, the experience of instructors who have pioneered the field and some basics that need to be taken into account when developing distance-learning courses are presented. The need to adapt pedagogical practices to the distance learning environment is highlighted. Finally, certain constraints—some language-specific, others specific to the distance-learning medium— and their impact on the effectiveness of Arabic distance-learning courses are examined. (pgs 347-354)
Understanding Learner-Centered Instruction from the Perspective of Multiple Intelligences
Marjorie Hall Haley, George Mason University
Abstract: This article describes a pilot study that investigated applications of the Theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) to shape and inform teaching practices and instructional strategies. The purpose of the study was to identify, document, and promote effective real-world applications of MI theory in foreign and second language classrooms. Results indicated that teachers were profoundly affected by these approaches: They felt that their teaching experienced a shift in paradigm to a more learner-centered classroom; they were once again energized and enthusiastic about their pedagogy; and they felt that they were able to reach more students. Students demonstrated keen interest in MI concepts and showed positive responses to the increased variety of instructional strategies used in their foreign language/ESL classrooms. For the pilot study, student achievement data are inconclusive. Phase II of the MI study will attempt to collect more detailed data related to classroom performance and student achievement. An unanticipated outcome of this research project was the positive impact it had on student attitudes and motivation to learn. (pgs 355-367)
