A discussion of language testing focuses on how proficiency scales are constructed and applied to communicative language assessment in Australian secondary schools. A variety of rating scale types are described and distinguished according to how they are constructed, what they attempt to measure, and what criteria they contain. A more detailed…

This framework provides Canadian curriculum writers with student learning outcomes they can use to develop curricula for international language courses. Its aim is the development of communicative competence in a specific international language (represented by applications, language competence, global citizenship, and strategies). The framework is…

The new call to action on foreign language competence is addressed to administrators and academic officers of higher education institutions. Based on recent reports on education, it is proposed that American colleges and universities are not succeeding in equipping students to live and communicate in an international world, and that the problem…

A guide to setting objectives for foreign language instruction provides a model for specifying comprehensive objectives and a discussion of their nature and educational implications. It follows up on the suggestions made in the "Threshold Level" series begun in 1975 with more complex specifications. Chapters define aims and objectives, examine the…

The syllabus for New York State's elementary and secondary education second language programs is intended to inform local school district personnel about important characteristics of successful programming and provide a framework for development, management, and implementation. It specifies educational goals and components of the intended learning…

New York State's syllabus for second language education is designed to help local school district personnel fulfill state mandates and develop curricula consistent with state standards. It identifies the components of intended learning outcomes and implications for instruction, but does not specify instructional methods to be used. The guide…

New York State's syllabus for instruction in Latin is designed to help local school district personnel fulfill state mandates and develop curricula consistent with state standards. It identifies the components of intended learning outcomes and implications for instruction, but does not specify instructional methods to be used. The guide outlines…

The curriculum guide for the basic German second language program in Manitoba elementary and secondary schools is presented. The first part offers the rationale for the broad goals of the program, with a focus on the benefits of cultural and language education for individuals and society alike. This section also contains a discussion of the…

This collection of papers is a resource for classroom teachers and program administrators who want to know not only what the communicative approach to language teaching is all about but how the goal of communicative competence is being met in teaching contexts similar to their own. Papers and authors include: "Functional Approaches to…

The Washington State English as a Second Language (ESL) Master Plan, part of the Adult Refugee Project, is designed for use by program administrators and instructors in planning institutional curricula. Program goals are the following: (1) enable refugees to reach a level of English usage and cultural familiarity that makes them employable; (2)…

A collection of readings on communicative language teaching explains what communicative language teaching is and how the goal of communicative competence is being met by teachers. The following articles are included:"Functional Approaches to Language and Language Teaching: Another Look" (Margie S. Berns); "Contextual Considerations in…