There are cognitive, social, personal, and practical reasons for studying a second language, and the syllabus is shaped by these and the identity of the learners, general and specific course objectives, educational principles, course components, learner input, and student evaluation procedures. A dynamic syllabus addresses four language competence…

Four questions concerning the communicative approach are addressed: (1) What are its theoretical foundations? (2) How does the new approach force teachers to reexamine the stated goal of helping learners communicate? (3) How does it modify teaching methods? (4) What are the implications of adopting a European teaching model? (MSE)

The curriculum guide outline (CGO) developed for the Richland School District One (Columbia, South Carolina) represents a structured effort to coordinate the curriculum across disciplines. The CGO is an outline that guides the total curriculum content of a course and states the level of mastery acceptable for course credit. It has five components…

In a discussion of language teacher education, specifically that of native English-speakers to teach English as a Second Language, it is argued that a balance must be found between process-oriented and product-oriented training. It is suggested that this sector of language teacher education has been heavily conditioned to a product-centered…

The provincial guidelines for primary level French second language instruction in Alberta begin with a discussion of the rationale and time allotment for language instruction within the curriculum. Minimum exit expectations for listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing are then outlined, and general and recurring themes for classroom…

One teacher's experience in developing and teaching a college-level business Spanish course is described. The discussion contains information about the choice of content, level, cultural content, and objectives, and includes examples of instructional activities and class projects. The course was designed to focus on business correspondence and…

The report details a 12-day workshop for 40 teachers of English as a foreign language (TEFL) held in China. It begins with an overview of the status of instruction in English as a second language (ESL) in that country, highlighting both progress and the difficulty of keeping up with demand for ESL teachers. Areas of difficulty in ESL instruction,…

Second language classroom techniques and activities promoting oral proficency are suggested and discussed. The suggestions are based on a course organization that focuses on basic communicative goals and uses frequent conversation between paired students. The activities include retelling partner responses and situational role-playing. Approaches…

A handbook for teachers and administrators of second language programs in Alberta's schools suggests principles and guidelines for planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating full or partial immersion programs, focusing on the framework for program planning and implementation, information for developing realistic program expectations, and…

Two sequential courses in scientific and technical French developed as a supplement to third- and fourth-year college French, in response to expressed student and industry demand, had as their objectives to develop a general familiarity with products of the large French industrial companies and their United States affiliates and to develop means…

The materials describe Kentucky's strategy for reforming the state standards for introductory Spanish second language instruction. They begin with a course description outlining the shift in orientation from grammar instruction to development of communicative competence. A subsequent section suggests ways in which the teacher might identify…

Curricula for business language instruction should be (1) based on analysis of the routine operations of local business, industry, and service organizations, (2) in the form of practical units of study for sequential development of target language competencies, and (3) accomplished through integrated partnerships with local business. Instructional…

The manual designed as a guide for trainers in a seminar for teachers concerning some of the central issues in contemporary foreign language teaching and learning presents notes on each of the five seminar sessions, including overall goals and goals for the prescribed session activity, time and procedural notes, and reading lists. (MSE)

This course syllabus for a 5-day intensive teacher education institute in FLES (Foreign Languages in the Elementary School) developed for Dowling College (New York) and geared to the certification requirements of New York State is presented. An introductory section describes the origins of the course, demand, and successful course components. The…

The guide for developing curricula and instructional materials is intended for use in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction and instruction in other second/foreign languages. It presents an overview of the course designer's task and some available techniques. First, assessment of educational needs and relevant societal factors is…