Views the American experience of assimilation and acculturation as a unique achievement, but also as the basis for ethnocentric attitudes no longer compatible with current American involvement in world economics and politics. With this premise, assesses the decline of foreign language instruction in the U.S. and its prospects for recovery. (MES)

A discussion of articulation in second language education between instructional levels looks at the current state of articulation, issues in the transition from secondary to higher education, and proposes a new approach that shifts the focus from product to process. Three forms of articulation are distinguished: vertical; horizontal; and…

Foreign language teachers need to provide students and administrators with a more accurate understanding of the nature and value of language programs if the programs are to successfully compete for enrollment. A survey of principals in Minnesota provided data reinforcing these views. (PGD)

Echoes the concern expressed in the Report of the President's Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies, decrying declining enrollments in foreign language programs. Analyzes the causes of this decline by reviewing recent historical events and cultural trends, and suggests that it is matched by a decline in English verbal aptitudes.…

A discussion of the status of German second language instruction, particularly at the postsecondary level, focuses on the role of standards, curriculum, and testing in increasing interest in and support for foreign language education. A substantial decline in German enrollments in the first half of the 1990s is noted, and possible reasons are…

Discusses declining enrollments in German as a foreign language programs and what can be done to offset the erosion in small undergraduate programs. Twelve ways to attract students to German, ranging from placement strategy to technology, and fifteen ways to retain them, such as offering German social events and internships, are presented.…

Language is important in the public life of the United States because of four factors: globalization; the global diffusion of democracy and self-determination; the wave of immigration to the United States from all corners of the world; and the unique role America plays as the sole military and economic superpower. These conditions make it…

A speech addressed to British foreign language teachers concerning the state of foreign language instruction in Great Britain stressed the importance of maintaining high quality second language instruction at all educational levels for the purpose of securing the future of the United Kingdom in commercial, social, cultural, and political domains.…

This interview with Glenn H. Nordin, Assistant Director of Intelligence Policy (Language and Training), Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, explores in depth the officially perceived language needs of the U.S. military in the foreseeable future. Questions and answers include the following: How has the end of the Cold War affected…

After a historical perspective of foreign language teaching in the United States, the article discusses current needs for second-language instruction, explores attempts to teach critical languages in public schools, and suggests approaches for the future. (SM)

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.…

This study of the importance of second language and international studies in Illinois in relation to the interests of the state covers the following topics: the importance of second language and international studies, characteristics of effective programs in second language and international studies, the status of those studies in Illinois, and…