This article describes a STARTALK intensive summer high school Mandarin language and culture program that was conducted for three summers. Participants across the three years included 40 Mandarin Level II and 53 Mandarin Level III high school students. Quantitative and qualitative data are presented to show the effectiveness of the program.…

For years reformers have been recommending that language teaching and learning be viewed as a system of communication, with the ultimate goal being the development of functional ability in learners (Musumeci, 1997). Many U.S. world language teachers continue to focus on grammatical tendencies, using English as the medium of instruction. As a…

A program is described in which second-year high school students taught elementary students French, Spanish, or German. The program, begun in 1975 in Memphis City Schools, involved 80 high school students and approximately 1,500 elementary students in the 1977-78 school year. (SW)

Projects of second-year university students enrolled in French classes are described. Instead of regular classes, projects on similar subjects were grouped and presented to the class as a whole. Student reactions obtained through a questionnaire are also reported. (SW)

Discusses the "Russian Dynamic Hand," a working prototype for introducing the Russian writing and sound system that has been available to students at Louisiana State University since September 1988. The project's evolution is discussed from an initial graphics-centered IBM prototype to a Macintosh version enhanced by an audio component.…

This article provides a description of one institution's response to reform efforts within the context of a post-baccalaureate second-language teacher education program, which combines the preparation of foreign-language and English-as-a-Second-Language teachers. (JL)

Focuses on how students' mode of communication during their first year in a French immersion program evolved from implicit to explicit, physical to verbal, and simple to complex. The linguistic and psychological reasons behind the program's success are discussed and benefits to the students are described. (25 references) (Author/VWL)

Describes the California Foreign Language Project (CFLP) and, more specifically, the Bay Area Foreign Language Program (BAFLP). BAFLP and its teacher-leaders aim to implement communication-based foreign language instruction and to develop a sense of collegiality; also, to identify and develop effective strategies to address the challenge of…

Details a program of intensive language learning at Kenston (Ohio) High School that begins with a two-and-one-half-hour-a-day class and ends with a three-week homestay abroad on school time. The approach involves using foreign language for communicating about matters relevant to the students combined with a no-grade, no-fail system. (Author/EJS)

Describes the University of Minnesota's graduate program for training second-language teachers. Program components include an intensive nine-month on-site clinical experience; the development of skills in self-examination and teacher observation; and a research component which allows students to study second-language teaching and learning in…

This article describes a nine-week collaborative project involving the training of secondary school language teachers in the use of process approach, holistic assessment, and positive feedback of writing in the second-language classroom. A description of the three workshop sessions over the nine-week period is provided. (JL)

Content-based instruction, a communicative approach to language teaching, is defined as a curriculum (1) that is based on subject matter, (2) uses authentic materials, (3) promotes the learning of new information, and (4) considers specific student needs. The Spanish and Russian content-area programs at the Foreign Service Institute are described…

The California Foreign Language Project (CFLP), established in 1988, is a voluntary professional development program designed to improve and expand elementary, secondary, and postsecondary foreign language teaching in California. CFLP consists of nine regional sites that work in conjunction with a central office to increase professional…

To restructure the language curriculum and integrate multimedia technology at the College of Staten Island of the City University of New York, instructional software was developed for a multimedia laboratory environment. This report provides information on the hardware and primary software chosen for the project, the creation of interactive…

Reports on the generally favorable response of college students at Ohio State University to the use of computers in elementary German instruction. (AM)