Italian-Americans such as industrialist Lee Iacocca, architect Robert Venturi, film-maker Brian De Palma, and writer Gay Talese have contributed to the emergence of ethnic groups as a major force in the cultural and business life of the United States. What is not widely appreciated, however, is the cultural, religious, craft, and family base which…

Papers presented at a conference on the use of simultaneous, consecutive, and other forms of interpreting as features of foreign language teaching and learning in British higher education include the following: "Liaison Interpreting as a Communicative Language-Learning Exercise" (H. A. Keith); "Interpreting and Communicating:…

This collection of papers discusses what researchers and classroom teachers think and do about culture in language education. There are nine chapters in two parts. Part 1, "Culture Theory," includes the following: (1) "Common Themes" (Joseph Lo Bianco); (2) "Culture: Visible, Invisible and Multiple" (Joseph Lo…

Discusses the presence and significance of linguistics in Italian departments at universities in Australia and worldwide against the background of multiculturalism, the politicization of the Italian population in Australia, and the emergence of Italy as a major economic and political power. Argues that the boundary lines between linguistics and…

Traditional British attitudes toward foreigners, which are now being challenged by current economic realities, and the increasing internationalization of British business, which magnifies the need for employees to communicate effectively with people from other countries and cultures, are discussed. A brief overview is provided that covers recent…

This selective bibliography lists books and some dissertations and theses relating to ethnicity. It is intended for junior and senior high school students, undergraduate college students, and the general public. The objective is to help ethnic groups, community agencies, and individuals in Cincinnati locate relevant source material concerning…

A yearly cross-section of current work in Edinburgh University's Department of Applied Linguistics is offered with the aim of eliciting reactions and criticism. Papers in this compilation are: "Discursive Aspects of Metafiction: A Neo-Oral Aura?"; "The Reaction of Learners to Tape-Based Listening Comprehension Materials in French,…

This report is based on a questionnaire survey sent to the registrars of all two-year and four-year colleges and universities in the United States. Replies were received from 2,494 institutions, of which 2,313 reported registrations in one or more foreign languages. The fall 1974 survey shows a decline of 6.2% in total foreign language…

Explains Beloit College's 10-day program, designed to interest entering freshman in study of foreign languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, and Spanish) and cultures. The program was successful in teaching the basics of the foreign languages and in eliminating anxiety about the study of those…

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)

While substantial evidence exists that classroom immersion in a second language teaches students about cultural diversity, raises cultural self-awareness, and improves communicative competence in the target language, most of the research has been performed at the elementary and secondary school levels. Implications for developing rationales and…

A study investigated: (1) the average language proficiency level as determined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) attained by 271 college seniors majoring in 6 languages (Spanish, French, Russian, German, Japanese, Italian); (2) current and projected uses of the ACTFL OPI by…

A study of the relationship between university-level second language development and previous language and other experience is described. The study, in its early stages at the time of writing, is being conducted at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and involves students of French, German, Italian, and Spanish. This report describes the subjects…

A self-paced, individualized program of instruction in eight languages (French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish) that has proven successful at San Jose State University (California) is described. The format of the program, options for individual scheduling and guidelines for class attendance, tutoring, and testing…

In order to discern the role of higher education in the training of personnel for bilingual/bicultural education, 3,038 postsecondary institutions in the United States, Guam, and the Virgin Islands were surveyed during the 1977-78 academic year. Data are presented on the groups studied and the courses offered. Tables also provide information on…