The state of language education in Australia has long been described as paradoxical. Oscillating between periods of increased attention and seeming invisibility, over the last thirty years, the language learning sector has been punctuated by a succession of aspirational declarations and funding injections with little long-term impact on its…

Higher education plays a fundamental role in the construction of a European citizenship that demands the development of plurilingual competences. Although the Bologna Process highlights that development (relating it to mobility, employability and lifelong learning), language education does not seem to be a priority in the agenda of higher…

Portal: Your Door to World Languages and Cultures was a series of public cultural events, in a variety of formats, created through a new partnership between the credit and continuing education (noncredit) foreign language programs at the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). Portal was designed to cultivate interest in foreign languages…

This paper highlights the problem of falling recruitment to foreign language (FL) degrees in higher education (HE), outlining some of the recent changes in secondary FL education which have contributed in part to this situation. It draws attention to the lack of research into the impact that the fall in numbers of students taking a foreign…

The report presents an analysis of the foreign language preparation of first-time undergraduate students at the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP). Basic areas of interest addressed included: the percentage of first-time students with either at least 2 or at least 3 years of preparation in a single foreign language in high school; how the…

A discussion of articulation in second language education between instructional levels looks at the current state of articulation, issues in the transition from secondary to higher education, and proposes a new approach that shifts the focus from product to process. Three forms of articulation are distinguished: vertical; horizontal; and…

Interest in the Far East has fueled dramatic increases in the past three years in the number of students taking classes in Japanese and Chinese. Many are studying these languages in conjunction with courses on business or economics in the hope that proficiency in the language will lead to lucrative jobs in international business. (MLW)

A discussion of the status of German second language instruction, particularly at the postsecondary level, focuses on the role of standards, curriculum, and testing in increasing interest in and support for foreign language education. A substantial decline in German enrollments in the first half of the 1990s is noted, and possible reasons are…

Discusses declining enrollments in German as a foreign language programs and what can be done to offset the erosion in small undergraduate programs. Twelve ways to attract students to German, ranging from placement strategy to technology, and fifteen ways to retain them, such as offering German social events and internships, are presented.…

College language departments report that, although enrollments in Spanish and some Pacific Rim languages are growing rapidly, declines are seen in French and German, traditionally popular, and in many less commonly taught languages. Students are motivated by practical considerations: many find their employment potential is increased by language…

The increase in immersion program enrollments shows a need for French-instructed postsecondary programs, especially in education and the social sciences. The expansion of quality postsecondary programs will reduce the decline in secondary immersion enrollment. Current world economic and political realignment will also increase the demand for…

This work is one in a series that focuses on nine languages representing the bulk of the second language learning effort in Australian education (Arabic, Modern Standard Chinese, French, German, Modern Greek, Indonesian/Malay, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish). These languages were categorized as the Languages of Wider Teaching. This particular work…

A survey was conducted to examine the depth and breadth of Japanese language instruction offered in the United States, to analyze the impact of mainstreaming instruction in one of the most difficult languages to teach, and to make recommendations leading to increased instructional effectiveness. Teachers, administrators, and students were surveyed…

This document discusses the various problems students and teachers face in Asian language education programs at both the elementary secondary and university levels. Asian languages are much more difficult to learn than more commonly-taught languages like French or Spanish, and the available curriculum and testing materials are inadequate. There…

Current trends and issues in second language education are summarized to provide background data for discussion in these areas: language use patterns in Canada and in the world; language education in Canada, with a focus on Alberta's situation (federal and provincial roles in multicultural education and second language study throughout Canada, and…