The proficiency-based German program in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University occupies an essential and integral but not central role in the overall foreign service program. It includes three years' instruction, in addition to the two years required for admission. Three levels are offered, and although students may take the…

An overview of the educational and language status of Hispanic American children is presented using data from a variety of sources. The following topics are reported on: (1) enrollment in private and public schools and by age category; (2) delayed education (enrollment two years or more below expected grade level) by language characteristics and…

The Preparation for American Secondary Schools (PASS) program, added to the federal Overseas Refugee Training Program in 1985, was evaluated for its effectiveness in preparing Southeast Asian refugees for American education. The study compared the school performance of students with PASS training to that of students who did not receive PASS…

The processes used by the Defense Language Institute (DLI) Foreign Language Center to develop proficiency-based nonresident courses in Czech, Polish, and Russian for language maintenance is described. Based on needs assessment and analysis of Department of Defense endusers, DLI provided the concept and design for the Proficiency Improvement…

The instructional settings and teacher-learner relationships observed in English-as-a-second-language classes at the secondary and university levels in Poland by an American senior Fulbright lecturer are characterized by very formal instruction with heavy emphasis on pronunciation and grammar exercises, large classes with little opportunity for…

Procedures used in foreign language teaching are discussed from the point of view of developing communicative strategies in students. Literature on communicative competence is reviewed and the implications for foreign language instruction are discussed. It is shown that: (1) from the very beginning of language instruction, the classroom setting,…

What is language proficiency? How does it interact with culture, human development, learning, and schooling? How can teachers best support English language learners (ELLs) and speakers of different English dialects? What are the current views of literacy acquisition and best approaches to literacy instruction? And how can assessments eliminate…

Most of the occupations for which students need to be prepared have not yet been designed, however, it is acknowledged that the majority of employment will be in service related fields. According to the research, the jobs most people will perform will only exist for three to five years, therefore, training for a specific job is not what is…

Analyzes the syllabus used in Brunei schools, questioning the introduction and timing of school subjects, particularly in relation to which language medium is used for teaching, and suggesting an alternative syllabus. Samuel's response questions whether Jones' recommendations are workable and acceptable in the Brunei situation. (33 references)…

Discusses the possibility of most students attaining a communicative proficiency in a language other than English. A case study of a school is presented that includes information and opinions gathered from parents and an outline "depth" curriculum for this school. (14 references) (Author/CK)

Examples from a multiyear project in a Los Angeles (California) school in a low-income Hispanic school district illustrate successes of a program to improve the early reading achievement of Spanish-speaking primary school children. The interplay of research, practice, and school improvement resulted in significant improvement in early Spanish…

An evaluation was conducted of the first year of a 3-year program designed in New York City to serve the needs of Chinese-speaking intermediate grade students of limited English proficiency. The focus of the program was on improving their achievement in mathematics and science while also improving students' English language proficiency. The…

Experiences in teaching a first-year reading course in the intensive English program at Kansai Gaidai Junior College (Japan) are discussed. In the period described, there were six classes of 16 students each. A proficiency-oriented approach incorporating a learner development component was adopted to facilitate the transition from traditional…

Two programs at the University of California, San Diego, (UCSD) in Spanish and Cultural Sensitivity are reported, one at the UCSD Medical Center and the other at the School of Medicine. These programs illustrate the power of culturally sensitive medical care versus a medical practice with non cross-cultural awareness that could result in patient…

In 1989, the number of persons in the United States who spoke languages other than English at home was at an all-time high. This number has increased rapidly in recent years as immigration flows have brought in new residents who are native speakers of other languages. To accommodate persons who speak languages other than English, changes are being…