State Seals of Biliteracy (SoBL) are a growing trend and present a promising method of serving an increasingly bilingual population. Currently, state SoBLs have been available almost exclusively at the high school level. An Oregon community college initiated the opportunity for students to study and receive the state SoBL in higher education. The…

This article describes an apprenticeship model that was developed and implemented across several language areas within one department at a large Canadian university. The apprenticeship provides two semesters of training for graduate foreign language teaching assistants before they are put in charge of their own classes. The purpose of this study…

With its focus on the use of language forms in cultural context, the study of pragmatics can be a valuable component in a program that prepares students to learn both language and culture in study abroad. The goal of the present study is to propose a model for pragmatic instruction in study abroad that fosters both intercultural competence and…

The communication pattern of Initiation/Response/Follow-Up (IRF) has long been an important instructional sequence in language classrooms. When language teachers combine IRF with the Response to Intervention (RTI) approach, they create a powerful model to evaluate student oral practice and self-assess effectiveness in creating language communities…

The Albuquerque Language Teachers Association's strategy for increasing public awareness of and support for second-language education has three components: (1) identifying goals; (2) defining projects; and (3) publicizing projects. (Author/CB)

Describes the California Foreign Language Project (CFLP) and, more specifically, the Bay Area Foreign Language Program (BAFLP). BAFLP and its teacher-leaders aim to implement communication-based foreign language instruction and to develop a sense of collegiality; also, to identify and develop effective strategies to address the challenge of…

Studies indicate that group work accompanied by the cooperative learning elements of individual accountability and structured independence among group members enhances student achievement. This article illustrates the implementation of a specific type of cooperative learning project called group investigation. The project is based on Slavin's…

The Arizona Elementary Foreign Language Task Force's response to a state mandate requiring foreign-language instruction in all elementary schools is described. After a review of curricular and personnel resource needs, Northern Arizona University's teacher-training model is summarized. (Contains 29 references.) (Author/LB)

A three-year Florida project to develop subject area certification examinations in foreign languages is reported. The project was carried out by teachers at each stage: research, writing, validation, pilot-testing, editing, and scoring. The teacher-developed certification test development project is seen as a model for other states. (four…

Surveys factors easing foreign language students' transition from middle to high school, including the type of program, degree of success in transition, problems in achieving effective articulation, and effective articulation strategies. Findings indicate that the greater the number of articulation strategies practiced, the greater likelihood…

Proposes, on the basis of a host of curricular factors, a stratification of foreign language programs in U.S. institutions of higher learning into two graded and curricularly distinctive phases. The initial phase would be comprised predominantly of nonmajors who enroll in beginning courses to satisfy a language requirement. The professional phase…

Presents a well-defined, goal-responsive curriculum model, derived from the concepts of the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages, which introduces several foreign languages to middle-grade students to begin to construct a foundation for later proficiency in a foreign language and to instill greater cultural sensitivity.…

This article describes a three-year teacher training project that aimed to improve the training of elementary school foreign language teachers at institutions of higher education. The training model paired North Carolina teacher trainers with experienced elementary school teachers who served as their mentors. (eight references) (JL)