While there are many difficulties faced by world language educators, both teachers and students of certain languages--languages commonly identified with countries and cultures deemed to be hostile to the United States--often find themselves in uniquely paradoxical situations. This article begins with a brief anecdotal description of the personal…

Whereas major research universities may accommodate programs of study in Arabic, Chinese, or Persian, regional universities and liberal arts colleges have struggled to adapt to a wider and more complex array of world languages and literatures in the 21st century. Many have been forced to choose between radically restructuring or closing programs…

Describes the intensive French program at Western Maryland College. Concludes that the program has helped to reverse some of the dwindling enrollments in French. (EKN)

Examines the languages (German, Italian, French) year-10 British students choose to study and shows how each language has fared to provide a basis for comparisons across languages. Also examines the results of interviews with students to determine the motive behind decisions to pursue or drop a language. (five references) (CK)

This report explains that 2000-01 was the eighth year in which the Centre for Language and Communication Studies (CLCS) at the University of Dublin's Trinity College offered extracurricular foreign language modules to students who were not studying a foreign language as part of their degree course. The modules are intended to develop students'…

An account of the way the Dartmouth Intensive Language Model was introduced and revised at Washington University. The topics discussed are the class organization, staffing, teaching methods, financing, the summer and year-long study-abroad programs, college administration support, student response, and enrollment trends. (AMH)

This paper investigates the beliefs about language learning held by 53 first-month university students enrolled in Swahili compared to those of 113 students of French and Spanish. Based in part upon the research design and instrument of Elaine Horwitz (University of Texas-Austin), this paper isolates the results from a larger study of eight…

Two papers describe two aspects of French foreign language instruction in West Germany. The first, "L'enseignement du francais en Republique Federale d'Allemagne" by Abel, deals with the institutional framework for French instruction in West Germany. A discussion of the instructional situation looks first at the history of French…

College language departments report that, although enrollments in Spanish and some Pacific Rim languages are growing rapidly, declines are seen in French and German, traditionally popular, and in many less commonly taught languages. Students are motivated by practical considerations: many find their employment potential is increased by language…

Results of a national survey on foreign language enrollments in United States public secondary schools are summarized. Aggregate data are provided for fall 1989, and more detailed data are included for fall 1990. Data indicate a 4.5% increase in secondary school language enrollments nationally since 1985. The increase for high schools alone was…

A redesign of the basic foreign language courses at the University of Michigan--Flint, stimulated by a need for improved enrollment and retention and for more language majors, had the result of improving faculty cooperation and teaching. Before the curriculum development effort, the program reflected individual faculty preferences and…

The University of San Francisco developed a certificate program in Western European area studies covering French-speaking countries, and subsequently a Latin American area studies program for Spanish-speaking countries, in response to uneven language enrollments and as a means of increasing intermediate-level enrollment. The French program begins…

A career-oriented foreign language program is discussed that takes into account marketable skills of foreign language majors for a number of careers. The program is threefold. First, it recognizes the need for language skills to supplement technical, business, and professional skills to expand educational knowledge; capabilities in diplomacy and…

For many years, the modern language enrollment at Butler University included many students with a second major in education, and the language curriculum served this population. As the number of teacher trainees diminished, foreign language majors increasingly indicated second majors in business. To serve this population, the foreign language…

The Northeast Campus of Tarrant County Junior College (TX) experienced a foreign language enrollment increase of 196% between 1973 and 1983, compared to a collegewide enrollment increase of only 91%. The program's success is due largely to the number and variety of curricular offerings. In addition to a 6-course sequence of 3- and 4-hour courses…