Ads that read, "If you can speak it, you can teach it," attracted thousands of young people to travel the world to teach English as a Second Language (ESL). English language schools of the 1960s and 1970s flourished with the influx of native speakers who were given a scripted textbook with all the "right" things to say. However, by the end of the…

Discusses different approaches for determining second language proficiency norms to be set by employers for personnel, all involving varying degrees of emphasis on linguistic proficiency on the one hand, and communicative competence on the other. (Text is in French.) (AM)

Globalization is on everyone's tongue, and the discussion is not only limited to economic exchange, but expands to the intermingling of cultural values. To be truly successful in the international arena, whether as an immigrant, student, businessperson, or tourist, openness toward other cultures is vital and the most obvious door to those cultures…

This article summarizes the results of a study undertaken to investigate the question of second language retention by federal bilingual employees in Canada. (CLK)

Defines three previously overlooked subpopulations of English proficient students (English superior, equally limited, non-English superior) in terms of their relative proficiency in English and the home language. Presents data and clarifies assessment terms, criteria, and procedures used in relative proficiency assessment. Makes program…

This is a compilation of books, pamphlets, articles and bulletins dealing with vocational opportunities for people with foreign language skills. The paper is divided into 12 sections with the following contents: (1) an annotated outline of various fields in business and industry, vocations and professions and federal government departments where…

A survey of 360 "Positions Available" advertisements in "The Wall Street Journal" shows that there is a demand in the business and commercial world for persons with business, technical, or scientific training who can speak one or more foreign languages. (Author/SW)

The problem of determining relative weights for quantity and quality in scoring foreign language speaking and writing fluency tests is studied. French speaking and writing fluency tests were administered to students of French in several schools in England. Data from these tests was analyzed to support the suggestion that scoring formulas should…

The study had among its objectives (1) the determination of rural-urban differences in the use of Spanish and English by household heads and Spanish American children of these households, and (2) the relationships between language used by Spanish American household heads and selected socioeconomic factors. It was found that use of Spanish…

The Market for Foreign Languages Study was begun in South Carolina to ascertain both the state's projected needs for modern foreign language competencies and the state's foreign language resources over the next five years. Questionnaires have been sent to industrial plants, secondary schools, and junior and senior colleges. Of the plants…

This book is a comprehensive treatment of the literature on second language acquisition in childhood, viewed in terms of contemporary process models. After a general introduction on bilingualism in society, six major topics are considered: first-language acquistion, language acquisition and learning in childhood and adulthood, simultaneous…

The language competence of adults in Great Britain was examined in a national study involving interviews between April 28 and May 9, 1999, with a representative sample of 3,967 adults over the age of 16 years. Of those surveyed, 58% spoke only their mother tongue, 29% spoke one additional language, and 10% spoke two additional languages. Fifteen…