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The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of the intra-lingual semantic similarities of words (partial synonymy) on second language vocabulary learning. To this end, two groups of participants were selected. Both groups received a pre-test. Then, the experimental group participants were taught semantically similar words contrastively, being made aware of the semantic similarities and contrasts, while the control group participants received the same words randomly with an interval of at least two weeks between the presentation of semantically similar words. A post-test was then administered and the means of the groups were compared using a case II t-test procedure. Results showed that the contrastive teaching of semantically similar words positively influences the learning of second language vocabulary.

Reflection has been very fashionable in all parts of teacher education for a number of years. Despite numerous articles, there is little empirical evidence that supports the view that it results in superior teaching practices, especially in EFL context. (Cornford, 2002) The objective of the present study was to explore whether there is a statistically meaningful relationship between the "reflective teaching practices" and the "learning outcomes" of the Iranian EFL students. For the purpose of this study two homogeneous groups of pre-university students were taught the same materials under similar pedagogical conditions by two teachers fundamentally different in their treatment of reflection on teaching practices. In fact, one was a strong supporte of the reflective pedagogy, and the other a total disbeliever in its use and effect on students' learning potential. The students mean score was significantly lower (p<0.05) in the disbeliever teacher category (control group) than the mean score of students in the believer teacher category (experimental group). Also, the student satisfaction and support were more significant in the experimental group. All in all, reflective pedagogy contributed significantly to the learning/learner effectiveness. These results demonstrate for the first time the potential contribution of reflection and reflective teaching to the ease and effectiveness of learning on the part of the Iranian EFL students.

In recent years, second language researchers have examined the role of cognitive styles such as field in/dependence and their relationship in learning English as a Foreign Language. Individual cognitive differences may constrain students’ second language learning. The present study explores the effect of field in/dependency on second language writing performance. Eighty nine sophomore students (14 males and 75 females) who had enrolled in essay composition course formed the sample of the study. They were majoring in English Translation at Khorasghan University. A TOEFL test was administered in order to determine the level of the participants’ English language proficiency. The standard Group Embedded Figures Test was used to assess field dependency. The students were asked to write essays on the two modes of narration and argumentation. The collected essays were evaluated according to ESL Holistic Scoring Guide. The obtained data were subjected to the statistical procedures of MANOVA, T-Test and Scheffé test. The results revealed a significant difference between the two groups of field dependence and field independence in writing skill in general and narrative writing in particular. Field independent learners outperformed field dependents (p<0.05). However, no significant difference was found between field dependents and field independents in argumentative writing. Based on the previous studies, the potential sources of difference between the performance of field dependents and field independents may be attributable to the difference between the two groups in the kind of reasoning, the restructuring ability, the use of strategies in processing information and in writing process, and memory retrieval.

The rate at which languages come into contact these days informs this research. In time past, the study of languages in contact are linked with situations that arise from war, colonization and or conquest. Today, however, languages come in contact to be alive or keep their users alive. Lagos, for instance, being a commercial neutral ground as conceived by some, does not only provide comfort for residents but also allows for growth, linguistic growth, inclusive. Lagos was the former capital of Nigeria and the state, being one of the thirty-six states in the country, although some Nigerians refer to it as ‘no man’s land’. In this paper, we examine how true it is to claim that Lagos belongs to nobody given the speech group in particular. To do this, we investigate the use of Yoruba in a number of domains to see whether or not it justifies the inclusion of Lagos as one of the Yoruba speaking cities. Some of the domains examined are homes, offices/companies, religious functions, in education (schools) and in radio and television. This paper is the outcome of a study that has been on for close to three years running. The major methodology adopted is participatory observation. Other methods used include the administration of questionnaires and the interview. The work is anchored on community practice. Our findings show that other speech communities other than the Yoruba community try to create a place for themselves in the state. In spite of this, however, our findings show that they do not only agitate to identify with the larger group, the Yoruba group, but are also expected by the mainstream, the Yoruba, to be Yoruba literate.

This paper reports the results of a study designed to investigate the effects of anxiety in the foreign language classroom. The aim was to focus on the relationship between anxiety and second language learning and the ways to cope with anxiety among university students. 120 students were asked to write down the things that led them to feel anxious in the classroom and then the researcher held interviews with these students as to what caused anxiety in the department. The main sources of anxiety were identified as: (a) Presenting before the class, (b) Making mistakes, (c) Losing face, (d) Inability to express oneself, (e) Fear of failure, (f) Teachers, and (g) Fear of living up to the standards. It is concluded that teacers should consider the possibility that anxiety is responsible for the student behaviors before attributing poor student pereformance to lack of ability, inadequate background or poor motivation.

This paper is an attempt to investigate the role of speech acts in second/foreign language teaching. It first starts with an analysis of the term grammatical competence and its comparison with the more comprehensive term communicative competence. It then deals with the components of the communicative competence emphasizing the role of speech acts in our daily use of language. Next, it looks into various techniques used in teaching speech acts. Finally, the term speech act set is introduced and its application in developing language teaching materials is examined.