Describes how the Department of Romance, German, and Russian Languages and Literatures at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), secured sponsorship for several Italian classes threatened by budget cuts from local and national Italian cultural organizations. The collaboration also helped make the CSULB Italian program more responsive to…

Links success of future international trade between U.S. and French-speaking world to a broader knowledge of economic systems and cultures of Quebec, Belgium, Switzerland, North and West Africa. More than just developing language competence, American students in business French need curriculum giving more exposure to diversity of cultures and…

Suggests that all uses of English are specific in their nature, and thus, all teaching of English as a foreign language should be addressed to specific purposes. It is argued that an English for Specific Purposes course should be characterized by the use of authentic materials, an orientation to purposeful activities, and self-access organization…

Presents essential principles to consider when designing free-form remedial/tutorial program courseware for second language learning. They include: (1) adaptability, in terms of instruction requirements and user population needs; (2) user-friendliness, to reduce machine-induced fears; (3) sophistication in error analysis; and (4) flexibility, to…

Discusses issues concerning foreign language teaching (FLT) policy in the European Community with special focus on The Netherlands, under the headings: (1) needs; (2) provision; (3) objectives; (4) methodology; and (5) the role of adult education and commercial interests. (LMO)

Discusses specific instruments and procedures that university-level foreign languages and literatures departments can use in outcomes-assessment of their undergraduate majors, including standardized tests, oral assessments, questionnaires, and portfolios. Case studies of outcomes-assessment programs in language departments at the University of…

Presents results of a questionnaire, completed by elementary and secondary principals and teachers, concerning foreign language instruction, including information on background demographics, amount of instruction, offerings, curriculum, teacher qualifications and training, and major instructional problems in both public and private schools.…

Provides information about the curriculum characteristics of first- and third-year high school Spanish textbooks and determines what differences exist among the texts involved. Study results indicate that these textbooks are consistently "deficient" on nearly all of the dimensions examined. (Author/SED)

Study considers teachers' evaluations of students who perform equivalently in written academic work but who have distinct speech varieties including Spanish-influenced English. Despite length of teaching experience and teacher ethnicity, all teachers favored the non-Spanish-influenced speakers. (SL)

The initial phase of an intensive language proqram relying on emotional involvement and close, interpersonal teacher/student contact is described. For duplication elsewhere, an overview is provided of the curriculum, syllabus, Master/Apprentice teaching team, student input, teacher evaluations, and funding. (PMJ)

Sets out the advantages of a functional/notional syllabus as opposed to a grammatical syllabus. Presents topics around which to build a functional/notional syllabus in teaching college-level French. Makes suggestions, based on students' perception of their communicative needs, for the sequencing of these materials. (PMJ)

Supports the idea that second language teachers should "teach the test," provided that such tests meet the criteria of authentic assessment. Authentic assessment focuses on constructivist learning and communicative tasks; the integration of teaching, learning, and assessment; quality and coverage of content; and quality and fairness of standards.…

Discusses the benefits of incorporating African-Caribbean contributions to U.S. history and culture at the level of higher education, such as promoting global interconnectedness, correcting misinformation about African Americans, recognizing and profiting from knowledge acquired by ancient civilizations, and strengthening economic competitiveness.…

Examines how structural change in the international system during the past 150 years affected the rise and decline of language courses in the curriculum. Data analysis showed rapid decline of classical languages and increased study of national languages and modern foreign languages. Maintains that the rearrangement of hegemonic powers has a strong…

The chair of a small college department of modern languages reviews the struggle and progress of advanced literary study in foreign languages, covering such issues as: lack of courses and students able to study such courses; needs for curricular reform; and cooperation with other college departments. (CB)