APPROXIMATELY 80 AMERICAN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHERS AND SPECIALISTS OFFERED THEIR OPINIONS AND PREDICTIONS OF WHAT THE STATE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING WOULD BE LIKE IN THE COLLEGES IN THE 1975 TO 1985 PERIOD, PARTICULARLY IN TERMS OF THE ELEMENTARY AND INTERMEDIATE LEVELS, THE LANGUAGE LABORATORY AND ELECTRONICS, AND THE TEACHER.…

"Communicative Competence" is today the avowed primary aim of foreign language teaching. This paper points out that communicative competence in this context differs from communicative competence between two native speakers of the same language. In the two cases the difficulties that appear are not the same. Various possible dialogue elements are…

This paper reviews and discusses four critical issues facing the foreign language profession. The pacing of basic foreign language instruction is too rapid, causing numerous detrimental effects on learning. Recent interest in specialized aspects of instruction, such as individualization, has resulted in unfocused leadership, so that teachers are…

Discusses the necessity of incorporating cultural themes in the German curriculum of American colleges from the beginning level on. These themes should be contemporary, should help the student contrast the foreign culture with his own and help him see language as a system of symbols. (Text is in German.) (TL)

Briefly summarizes the history of language instruction in the United States, and offers statements and recommendations with regard to language instruction at the university level. (AM)

A description of the foreign language curriculum at the university level in which courses in simultaneous translation are required. The size and composition of the groups are described as well as methods used to develop skill in translating and interpreting. Results are assessed. (Text is in Spanish.) (AMH)

Questions in the title refer to reasons for learning a second language, the best time to begin, what language to choose, and methods most likely to succeed. Using examples from Danish language experience, the author urges that language teaching relate more closely to learners' desires, needs, attitudes and mental capacity. (CHK)

This article examines the relationship between linguistic analysis and the psychology of language acquisition in current language teaching practice and illustrates how an awareness of this relationship may lead to new classroom approaches and techniques. (CHK)

Examines foreign language teaching methodologies developed in various parts of the United Kingdom, and then looks at implications for Australian classrooms. The establishment of a framework for adult language learning is stressed, based upon the language needs of the learner and the linguistic operations required in order to function effectively…

Discusses an experiment conducted with three classes of nursing students at Catania University Polyclinic (Italy) that attempted to find meaningful contexts for use in English as second language teaching curriculum (for nurses). By practicing dialogs typical of nurse-patient interactions in a hospital context, student nurses learned to interact…

In order to avoid the early problems of computer assisted instruction and the language lab, and to achieve maximum effectiveness and efficiency of student learning, foreign language teachers need to become proficient in the following three areas: (1) computer literacy; (2) software literacy; and (3) application literacy. (SL)

Discusses three obstacles to interdisciplinary cooperation in education: (1) compartmentalization of teachers and teaching, (2) reluctance of educators to tackle the problem, and (3) difficulties in intraschool and intrasystem communication. Recommends collecting, expanding, and sharing curricular components to achieve the goal. (PMJ)

The authors cite reasons for the poor standard of spoken French in British secondary schools and put forward some practical ideas for oral activities. (SJL)

A language school teacher explains some of his methods for teaching beginning French, including course content, use of drill and homework, pronunciation, and the use of choral speaking to teach stress and intonation. (SJL)

Discusses criteria to apply to key aspects of the inspection and monitoring process in modern language instruction. Quality assurance includes assessment of the whole learning environment. Ten characteristics of a good modern language lesson are listed. (six references) (CK)