The globalisation of higher education and the resultant increase in the cultural and linguistic diversity of the student body has cast the spotlight on English language proficiency as never before. How universities best assess applicants' linguistic suitability for their future degree studies, set appropriate proficiency thresholds, and put in…

A number of reports in the US have highlighted the country's need for improved second language skills for both national security and economic competitiveness. The Language Flagship program, launched in 2002, aims to raise expectations regarding language proficiency levels at the post-secondary level and to address structural gaps in the curricula…

The study and appreciation of literature should retain its traditional position at the center of foreign language study. A "problem-centered" model is described for teaching literature in the undergraduate foreign language classroom using texts organized around a series of complex critical problems. (CB)

Explores issues of competency and proficiency in the learning of foreign languages at the undergraduate level, involving competencies currently established for language learning and the establishment of "tracks" in literature, language, and culture. (CB)

A proposed program in English as a Second Language (ESL) for limited-English-proficient students at California State University at Los Angeles (CSLA) is outlined. Eligible international students and recent immigrants and refugees would be identified and placed using a test of English for academic purposes. The proposed program would consists of…