Presents the results of a two-year study on the integration of Internet resources as a primary instructional tool in the teaching of Italian-language classes at the University of Utah. All students studying Italian belonged to a virtual community of Italian speakers who communicated daily on various channels and mailing lists. (Author/JL)

This digest provides useful information on starting an elementary school foreign language (FLES) program. Individual sections address the following: (1) cautions in planning a FLES program; (2) initiating the planning process; (3) designing the program, with special attention given to scheduling and language choice; (4) programs that lead to high…

Most inservice teacher education erroneously equates pedagogy and methodology with classroom instructional "recipes" and strategies. It should, instead, help teachers adapt to specific teaching needs and gaps in training. Continuing education that allows teachers to choose their own areas of study and to pursue them individually encourages…

Recent advances in psycholinguistics, cognitive psychology, and information processing theory have produced several notions that have revolutionized previous conceptions of reading and what it means to understand. These notions support the idea that more emphasis should be placed on reading comprehension skills in the English as a second language…

The Teaching Assistant Program offers a course alternative designed to attract talented high school students to careers in education. This individually tailored course offers an expanded academic program to secondary students in several subject areas that have critical teacher shortages. It introduces them to the many facets of the teaching…

Three program types for foreign student second language instruction in Canada involve sheltered subject-matter instruction at (1) a university, (2) a university adjunct or support program, and (3) a private "visa school" established solely to prepare foreign students for university or college entrance in Canada or the United States. The…

Describes the Master in International Business Studies (MIBS) program of the University of South Carolina, emphasizing its interdisciplinary character and the importance of its language training component. Discusses program evaluations by both students and faculty and presents a statistical summary of enrollment, retention, and degrees awarded…

Results of a large-scale evaluation of early and middle immersion programs in the Toronto (Ontario) area, involving 4 districts and 26 grade 8 classes, suggest that middle immersion yields less consistent performance levels than early immersion. Overall, findings favor early immersion. (11 references) (Author/MSE)

The origins and design of a framework for Japanese second language instruction and curriculum development, created for use in international schools in Japan, are described. The effort was part of a Japanese Language Project undertaken by the Japanese Council for International Schools and funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education. The guiding…

A strategy for expanding business foreign language course offerings at the college level is described. At one institution this involves adding a business component to some sections of three language courses: second-semester intermediate level; third-year composition; and contemporary culture and civilization seminar. Content is concentrated in…

This paper discusses the status of the endangered Kwak'wala language on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, and efforts to revive it. Kwak'wala, also known as Kwakiutl, belongs to the Kwakiutlian group of the Wakashan language family. Following a description of Kwak'wala's historic decline and current status (mostly elderly speakers comprising…

Two approaches to college second language instruction are described. One, an on-campus option, gives students a classroom opportunity that is similar to the intensive/immersion program, which is a ten-week intensive language course followed by a ten-week program in Mexico, France, or Germany. The on-campus option, called "Super," is a…

Analyzes the objectives of foreign language teaching at the higher education level from the perspective of languages for specific purposes (LSP) and suggests that specifying the purpose of language teaching objectives in foreign language degree programs can contribute both to the practical relevance of graduates' proficiency and to the inner…

The problems encountered by a French teacher in a Danish experimental interdisciplinary secondary education program, and the solutions he tried, are examined. Among the problems were student and teacher prejudices, program articulation, and differences in work methods. (MSE)

Issues underlying current debate about language learning and teaching are discussed and categorized: views of language learning, views of language, program design, methodology, and psychological factors. It is suggested that educators are justifiably concerned with catering to students' varied needs, wants, and learning styles. (MSE)