This report is based on a questionnaire survey of all two-year and four-year colleges in the United States listed in the 1972-73 "Education Directory" (Part 3, Higher Education). Registrars at 2,614 institutions replied to the questionnaire; 2,419 reported registrations in one or more foreign languages. The fall 1972 survey shows a…

This study of foreign language enrollments in secondary schools quantitatively demonstrates the impact of the National Defense Education Act of 1958 on foreign language study through some 50 tables and charts. Ninth in the Modern Language Association of America (MLA) series, the report covers: (1) public secondary schools, (2) foreign languages,…

Data on foreign language enrollments in Oregon schools are presented in tabular form. Statistics include the numbers and percentages of students, teachers, and teaching fellows at each school level (higher education, continuing education, secondary, middle, and elementary); in each school type (state and independent colleges, community colleges,…

This paper examines the question of language loyalty in the United States and explores the implications that the institutional teaching of modern languages may have for ethnic language maintenance. The education of United States ethnics has always resulted in the loss of the ethnic tongue as a resource. However, although negative attitudes toward…

A discussion of foreign languages in elementary schools (FLES) includes both historical and current overviews of FLES in the United States and makes recommendations for development of FLES programs. The historical review looks at program design and methods during the 1950s and 1960s and the successes and failures of program types and approaches.…

The report summarizes the proceedings of a conference on less commonly taught languages (LCTLs). An introductory chapter describes the origins and organization of the conference, and notes the sponsoring organizations, languages represented by participants, institutions represented, and professional associations to which participants belonged.…

For a less commonly taught (LCT) language to thrive in a high school curriculum, issues of support and accessibility must be addressed. Counselors, administrators, and teachers must work together to show students that these are not difficult languages. Designing the programs for "gifted and talented" students unfairly excludes many capable ones,…

The survey, using data gathered from state foreign language association presidents and state foreign language supervisors and a number of other sources, investigated issues in professional development for language teachers. Forty-six out of 50 states responded to the survey, but not all of the states responded to each quotation. The survey…

An argument for counseling college-bound students in the senior year of high school rather than in the freshman year in college concentrates on: (1) adequate description of the languages taught in colleges, (2) importance of various languages in career planning, (3) identification of student linguistic potential, (4) study of a third language in…

Four papers on second language learning are include. "Comparing Native and Nonnative Speakers' Error Correction in Foreign Language Writing" (Catherine A. Jolivet) examines differences between native and nonnative French speaking teachers in their error correction on students' compositions. "ESL Students' Opinions About Instruction in…

A study investigated influences on attrition in Japanese second language instruction in one U.S. university. Subjects were students enrolled in the fall semester of beginning (n=134 students) and intermediate (n=79) levels of Japanese courses. In the fifth week of classes, students were administered a series of questionnaires to gather data on…

A study of the role of the modern language program at Michigan Technological University looks at perceptions of administrators, faculty, and students concerning the program and language learning needs, and student motivation in studying languages. Concludes that despite language enrollment and retention problems, modern language courses are both…

The report presents results of a 1996 national survey of New Zealand concerning the provision of Maori language instruction at all levels (early childhood, elementary (primary), secondary, and postsecondary (tertiary)), enrollment rates, student characteristics, and teacher characteristics and qualifications. Data are organized in these…

This document consists of the three issues of the journal "Learning Languages" published during volume year 3. These issues contain the following major articles: "A National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL): A Brief History, 1987-1997;""Juguetes Fantasticos" (Mari Haas); "A Perspective on the Cultural…

The language competence of adults in Great Britain was examined in a national study involving interviews between April 28 and May 9, 1999, with a representative sample of 3,967 adults over the age of 16 years. Of those surveyed, 58% spoke only their mother tongue, 29% spoke one additional language, and 10% spoke two additional languages. Fifteen…