In the following article the author presents a methodological framework for the teaching of intercomprehension. Competence in intercomprehension is seen as a realisation of the general human faculty for using and understanding language, which includes the ability to comprehend texts and utterances in "unfamiliar" languages. This competence can be…

Examined student attitudes toward a 10-week "taster" course in Hindi offered in a language awareness program at a Coventry, England, secondary school. It was found that the course stimulated enthusiasm for language learning and provided students with a greater understanding of Indian culture. (one references) (MDM)

The assumption that the "purpose" of school foreign language teaching is to serve "instrumental" ends may largely underlie the present adolescent dropout. In this article the author proposes a two-stage foreign language apprenticeship. A two-stage apprenticeship would include a carefully planned diagnostic element, preparing…

TutorWhile assessment and its effects on learning such as "washback" have been the subject of much debate (e.g. Alderson & Wall, 1993; Bachman, 1995: 356; Alderson & Hamp Lyons, 1996; Shohamy "et al", 1996; Andrews "et al", 2002), assessment as a tool for developmental, not merely evaluative, purposes has…

This article reports on the ATLAS project, which addressed the problem of poor recruitment to university courses in the less widely taught (LWT) languages. The results of a survey of school students' attitudes towards learning languages and towards using the web were used to help design a website to encourage students to consider taking up a new…