One in five school-age children in the U.S. speaks a language other than English at home (Zeigler & Camarota, 2014). Roughly half of these emerging bilingual students (Garcia, 2009) are classified as English learners (ELs) when they enter school, meaning they do not meet state or district criteria for English proficiency (NCES, 2015). As the…

Condensed from "The Massachusetts Teacher, Volume 48 (January 1969), 10-11, 24.

Presents excerpts relating to community and junior colleges from a President's Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies report. Encourages community colleges to increase enrollment in foreign languages and international studies and to develop a center for international studies. (CAM)

Part of a study of the oral communication skills of Chinese scientists in an intensive course in English for science and technology focused on the importance of attaining accuracy or mastery for their specific language needs and the error tolerance level of English-speaking scientist peers. Three students in each of three different science…

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages' guidelines for foreign language teaching and learning focus on the linear acquisition of grammatical structures, but this proficiency will not automatically lead to interactional competence. Enthusiasm generated by the proficiency movement should be redirected toward a push for…

A philosophical and historical reflection on the values of learning a second language explores the stages of language acquisition. Language fluency, second language instruction, and the Western cultural traditions associated with learning a second language are discussed. (CB)