Presents statistical data from a survey of Russian culture courses taught at institutions that offer Russian language instruction. Includes data on total number, length, and language of instruction, which, while substantiating the widespread assumption of a culture course explosion, point to the large proportion of courses that are taught in…

Discusses two key problems that plague intermediate French courses, particularly the overemphasis on the formal study of grammar and the neglect of content. Suggests that emphasis be shifted to a coherent presentation of contemporary culture, and that grammar be relegated to its proper place as the vehicle of effective communication. (MES)

Outlines and evaluates a one semester interdisciplinary program in which students at California State College, Stanislaus, were taught Soviet economics, literature, geography, government, and foreign policy. (Author/DB)

THE 20TH-CENTURY MATURATION OF FOREIGN AREA STUDY CURRICULUMS IN U.S. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WAS DESCRIBED. THE DESCRIPTION ACCOUNTED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TWO RELATED FACETS OF AREA STUDIES--GENERAL EDUCATION AND APPLIED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. GENERAL AREA STUDY WOULD USUALLY CONSIST OF COURSES IN VARIOUS DISCIPLINES OF THE HUMANITIES AND…

One hundred and eleven annotated bibliographic citations of books, including a few journals, on Japan published between 1941 and 1971 comprise this reading guide designed to meet the needs and adaptation of smaller libraries in schools, towns, and cities. Intended for serious beginning students or casual readers, it offers a broad scope of recent…

Comments on the declining interest in foreign language and culture studies as a manifestation of ethnocentrism negatively affecting our international policies and our understanding of the differences within American society. Mentions the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' policy statement and the New Jersey's state-wide plan…

Culture courses, currently popular, can bring increased enrollments to language departments. Presented here is an outline of some reasons for offering culture courses, teaching methods employed, and problems encountered. (CHK)

This document features writings and curriculum projects developed by teachers who traveled to Poland and Czechoslovakia in the summer of 1992 as members of a Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar. The following items are among those included: "Curriculum Project: Women and Work: A Global Perspective" (Joan K. Burton); "The Community College…

This document features writings and curriculum projects by teachers who traveled to Mexico and Central America in the summer of 1991 as members of a Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar. The following items are among the 20 included: Curriculum Project: "'Escritoras Mexicanas Contemporaneas': A Survey of Mexican Women Fiction Writers" (Laura J.…

Developed for a one-semester college credit course, this syllabus encourages a cross-cultural approach to the study of Indian society. The objective is to provide students with not only a balanced view of India but also with an idea of dynamics of change. Emphasis is upon paralleling social and political issues in the United States with those of…

Visiting the Temple of Kali in Calcutta, India, one understands the importance of an Afro-centric methodology in describing the complex nature of the Mother Goddess in ancient India. Discoveries of ancient female figurines indicate an early Indian concept of the female role in the creation of civilization and culture and of the notion of the…

The dual mandate of modern language learning is considered to be linguistic competence and scholarly expertise in literature or in philology. The need for the systematic study of culture in modern language studies is discussed, and programs in the United States and Great Britain are compared. (MLW)

As Japan takes a place as one of the world's technologically and economically advanced nations, the number of foreign students seeking to study in Japan has increased rapidly, as has the number of foreigners expressing interest in studying Japanese culture and the Japanese language. The Japanese government's program of international student…

The principal essay, by James E. Harf, describes the state of the art and prescriptions for the future in undergraduate international studies. It points out that undergraduates at some prestigious research-oriented universities and at small, prestigious liberal arts colleges have exposure to international education, but that at the overwhelming…

The academic discipline of political science at the University of California's Education Abroad Program (EAP) is examined with a focus on: what academic instruction consists of at selected host universities; how effective did the participants feel the instruction was in increasing their knowledge of the subject; and how the academic and…