Discusses an introductory course in basic conversational Spanish that raised enrollment. It is noted that the course interested students who desired a basic knowledge of spoken Spanish and those students who feared failure in regular courses. It was found that some students later enrolled in regular courses. (Author/AMH)

Presents data obtained from a survey of 2,796 colleges and universities regarding foreign language enrollment, focusing on trends in foreign languages at 2-year colleges, language registrations between 1960 and 1990, and less and most commonly taught languages. (CB)

This guide, an update of two previous versions, is designed to provide information about what is currently taking place at the college level in relation to foreign language entrance requirements, degree requirements, and other trends. The introductory material provides information on: (1) statistics on foreign language entrance and degree…

An account of the way the Dartmouth Intensive Language Model was introduced and revised at Washington University. The topics discussed are the class organization, staffing, teaching methods, financing, the summer and year-long study-abroad programs, college administration support, student response, and enrollment trends. (AMH)

Suggests that robust foreign language departments, such as Spanish, must support other languages or end up as the only language offered on campus other than English. (Author/VWL)

Presents the results of the Modern Language Association's fall 1995 survey of foreign language registrations in American institutes of higher education. Results are presented in tabular form and are broken down by grade level, language studied, and comparison with prior years. The survey contains data on commonly and less commonly taught…

Discusses the challenges and difficulties of Slavic languages, a field that is notoriously cyclical and is currently at the bottom of a cycle. The article chronicles the history of Slavic studies in relation to political developments since World War II, draws parallels between current trends in Slavic and other modern language programs, and sees…

The English Language Institute (ELI) at Alaska Pacific University provides an intensive academic program designed primarily to prepare foreign students for successful participation in undergraduate or graduate programs. Students from the local international community have also been admitted to the program. These students have motivations, language…

The development of a successful short-range forecasting model for predicting enrollment in a university intensive English course began with examination of the characteristics (nationality, enrollment patterns, persistence) of both course participants and no-shows; the resulting figures revealed consistent patterns for country of origin and for…

Michigan Technological University has introduced a program which awards a certificate in Foreign Language and Area Study to students completing two years of the same foreign language and three area studies courses. It was developed in response to the necessity of dropping 19 foreign language courses. A survey of freshman English students revealed…

Brigham Young University has implemented a policy of allowing non-language majors, often with limited second-language proficiency, to study abroad. A study examined the effect of a six-month study program in Vienna (Austria) on the academic achievement and post-reentry language registrations of 224 students. Study-abroad students were matched with…

The purpose of this report was to determine the changes that occurred from 1972 to 1976 in the field of Japanese study in the United States. The investigators compiled information from already published material and obtained data from questionnaires that were sent to all colleges and universities known to employ at least one specialist on Japan in…

Surveyed students at Arizona State University to find out why they had chosen to study French, whether they planned to continue studying French, and what courses they would like to see offered. Responses indicated that the students plan to visit France or a French-speaking country, that they are interested in gaining fluency in French, and that…

Investigating students' needs in three foreign language departments in a liberal arts college setting, the study discussed in this article aims to find similarities and differences in language needs among students enrolled in French, German, and Spanish and the extent to which students' perceived needs match the mission the departments have…

A discussion of the current direction of second language instruction looks at the decline in college language enrollments, possible reasons for the decline, and efforts to adapt course offerings and curriculum format to current educational goals. Three factors in re-directing second language teaching are highlighted: establishment of standards for…