Argues that fostering learner autonomy is an important and appropriate goal in language course design, but that principles to guide the design of such courses are currently lacking. Proposes five course design principles for language courses that seek to promote learner autonomy. (Author/VWL)

The processing of Germany's Nazi past with the help of exile and holocaust literature has already been an important component of the teaching of literature in the schools of the Federal Republic of Germany for some time. This article analyzes an exemplary German curriculum for the Baden-Wuerttemberg gymnasium level. (DMK)

This paper analyses the national policies on foreign language in primary schools in the People's Republic of China (PRC). It begins with a brief introduction to the changes in foreign language education policy and the main motives for those changes in the context of socio-political circumstances. It then examines foreign language education in…

English language teaching (ELT) has played an important role in the Chinese Radio and Television Universities (RTVU) network since its establishment in the late 1970s. Based on a literature review and reflection from an insider's perspective, this paper gives a full account of the RTVU distance ELT model, examining how it supports autonomous…

Through the process of critical thinking and in a collaborative learning environment, foreign language instruction can be more than a required skill; it is an integral part of a liberal education. Critical thinking is part of the basic process of learning, not a higher order of thinking to be saved for advanced courses. Students thinking in…

This report describes the technical means for generating and justifying an educational program design via empirically-based analysis of Instructional Accomplishment Information System data bases. The conventional approach to educational program planning is to pursue design implementation first, operational implementation next, and then to hope…

Is phonetics essential in the learning of pronunciation? It is taught in the hope of aiding muscular-motor function and is therefore essential. The problem arises then of designing a course which supplies the learner with all relevant phonetic information during pronunciation teaching in the most effective way. (CFM)

Discusses ways in which the process of composing may be integrated into the curriculum as part of the learning process. Group writing assignments, peer editing, and the multiple revisions allowed in process writing serve to demystify the task of writing in a foreign language and provide students with opportunities to learn from each other. (eight…

An English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) professor writes about her own experiences with college ESL students, focusing on the issue of content in study labs and ESL reading instruction at Baruch College. Aspects of the curriculum that promote language development, including active interaction with text, are described. (10 references) (LB)

Assesses the ambiguous relationship between linguistics and foreign language teaching, noting that budget cuts in foreign language departments usually mean loss of linguistics and literature, and bemoaning the loss of language teaching in higher education based on formal elements of language (grammar, syntax, morphology) in favor of a…

This paper reviews the practices in the teaching of Business English in China over the past 50 years and two perspectives on Business English that have been influential in conceptualizing a new approach to curriculum design. The review demonstrates that there has been an evolution from intuition-led practices to content-based teaching, and to more…

This study aimed at exploring motivational factors among American college and university students studying Japanese (as a second/foreign) language by examining their Peak Learning Experiences (Anderson et al., 2001; Bloom, 1982). In all, 128 students studying intermediate Japanese at five different schools returned their answers to this study's…

Describes the philosophical bases of confluent education, and provides examples of this method in language instruction. (AM)

This bibliography contains recent Canadian publications, most dated since 1990, related to the teaching of English and French as second languages. It includes curriculum materials such as language practice materials and readers, as well as professional publications, such as books, research reports, and curriculum guidelines. (85 references)…

The place of languages other than English in schools remains controversial in Australia. Data discussed show that language education is still struggling to establish its place in the curriculum even though policy developments have recognized the importance of language learning and improved proficiency outcomes. (Author/VWL)