The beginning of the modern education and the introduction of the foreign languages in Ethiopia are the two faces of a single coin. And this paper mainly shows how and when foreign languages are introduced into Ethiopia following the footsteps of the introduction and expansion of modern education. It is done using secondary sources. It also gives…

Studies on second language acquisition show that the earlier a child is exposed to instruction the more likely he or she will be successful in attaining high levels of proficiency. The author knew that if real change were going to take place in Linden, New Jersey, the ideas and beliefs that embody multiculturalism and multilingualism would have to…

International Grammar School was founded twenty years ago on the belief in the benefits of immersion language learning for children. It offers immersion second language learning in German, Italian, French, and Japanese which continues through kindergarten into the high school years. With language as the medium and not the object of learning,…

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 college-level course in business Italian was designed to incorporate not only language and business communication skills but also perspective on Italian culture. The curriculum includes study of research, literature, economic trends, and popular culture that reflect the broad and varied role of Italian culture in the modern world. (MSE)

The evolution and design of a third-year college course in business Italian are described. Course content includes business correspondence, banking, wholesale and retail transactions. Teaching methods and class activities are also discussed. These include use of realia, small group activities, and letter and report writing. (Author/MSE)

Until 1947, Australia was considered one of the most monolingual countries in the world. However, now there are more than a million bilingual Australians who regularly use a language other than English when talking with friends and families, or on religious or social occasions. (SL)

This report details the third year (October 1, 1995-September 30, 1996) of a Trinity College (Ireland) program to offer second language learning modules to students who are not language majors. The modules' objectives are to develop students' communication skills for study, travel, or work abroad during undergraduate years, and to enhance their…

The report details the fourth year (October 1996-September 30, 1997) of a Trinity College (Ireland) program to offer second language learning modules to students who are not language majors. The modules' objectives are to develop students' communication skills for study, travel, or work abroad during undergraduate years, and to enhance their…

A 4-day inservice teacher workshop, held so that teachers from a number of countries could share ideas and experiences about foreign language teaching at the elementary school level, is described. Speeches and events of each day are summarized briefly, and plenary sessions are chronicled in somewhat more detail. The latter include: a description…

Outlines national language policy for Australia, taking into account the culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse society, as well as role of English and uses of other languages in the community. Since English is the dominant language, all citizens and permanent residents have a right to learn it to level of proficiency that meets their…

This paper describes the first phase of a project that applies multimedia and hypermedia technology to the study of modern languages. The approach differs from taditional ones in that language is not viewed from a conversational or grammatical perspective but through scenarios imitating the contexts of natural language use. In this phase, the…

Advocates national policy of multiculturalism and multilingualism, acquired through cohesive use of a common language (English) spoken by all Australians, yet retaining and incorporating the more than 20 major languages presently in use. Suggests provisions for efficient teaching of English and encouragement of all other community languages,…

Based on an Australian study creating sociolinguistic profiles of nine languages other than English (LOTE) commonly used in Australia, the report examines implications for public language policy and planning. The languages are: Arabic; Chinese; French; German; Modern Greek; Indonesian/Malay; Italian; Japanese; and Spanish. The report begins by…