Discusses how study of French language and culture has increasingly become integrated into introductory language sequences and advanced undergraduate study. The study of the new France, with its cultural and linguistic diversity expands the possibilities for research, teaching, and learning. Interests in French-speaking cultures within and outside…

Presents French culture studies as an example of possible directions in graduate culture studies. Refers to a model based largely on the culture and civilization graduate concentration at Penn State University, which evolved alongside literature and language over the past 15 years. (Author/VWL)

Urges French departments to teach the language on its own terms rather than competing with Spanish on its own terms, recommending an iconoclastic shift from an emphasis on pronunciation and correctness to a critical look at culture that will allow students to see themselves and the target culture from inside and outside. (SM)

Describes the "Texas Project," a project to train a cadre of Texas-based college-level teachers of French, German, and Spanish to serve as oral-proficiency interviewers and raters. Discusses the four goals of the project and reports on its current status. (SED)

Describes a French department's efforts to free itself of course sequences organized by century, questions the value of curriculum based primarily on the past and recommends that faculty members be more open to new approaches made accessible through theater, cinema, and cultural studies. (Author/VWL)

Confirms the advantages of immersion in a foreign language in a study abroad context, but points out some of the problems that arise for individual students. Highlights the difficulties two students encountered in their stays with French families: they were uncomfortable with their hosts, barely spoke French, and were led to misinterpret French…

Describes problems and attempted resolutions encountered in administering an effective study-abroad program in Paris, France, discussing program rationale, selection and preparation of students, academic life, and social life. (28 references) (CB)

Ten colleges and universities and the Educational Testing Service participated in a project that involved testing the Foreign Service Institute's French and Spanish oral proficiency test for possible academic applicability. (AM)

Studied differences in language gain in French among two groups of students, those who studied abroad and those who remained at home to study in the college classroom. Six nonteacher native speakers compared the oral and written fluency of both groups of students. Results show the context of language learning is a factor in what oral and written…

Discusses francophone studies as a race-diversifying strategy in higher education, examining the role of Romance language and literature departments. Francophonia requires an intercultural examination of French culture in the context of the cross-cultural (which could occur through an interdisciplinary alliance of the French department and African…

Describes intensive summer institutes designed for elementary and secondary school language teachers of French and Spanish. Objectives include: (1) revitalizing the participants' language capabilities, (2) increasing their knowledge of literature and culture, (3) exposing them to less traditional literature and culture, and (4) encouraging…

This report states specific steps to follow in order to achieve the primary objectives of the Modern Language Association/American Council of Learned Societies Task Force, to improve the quantity and quality of second-language study in the commonly taught languages in the United States. (CFM)

Recommends a less Eurocentric view on second language learning, suggesting that French and German, and even Spanish, must give way to other world languages. This will involve reallocating resources among adjacent institutions so a variety of languages can be taught at the secondary and collegiate level, thus creating students competent in many…

The City University of New York Graduate School's professional program in translation combines high-level, specialized language learning in French, German, and Spanish with related graduate work in such disciplines as international affairs, finance, banking, jurisprudence, literature, and computer science. (CB)

In response to falling enrollments in French and a diminishing pool of high school teachers, faculty at Auburn University tried to turn the tide through a series of curricular and advocacy initiatives. They introduced new French majors in education and in international trade and a collaborative major with the Consumer Affairs Department in French…