Issues concerning language learning strategies instruction are discussed, and its use in second language education in Japan is encouraged. It is argued that language learning strategies, largely ignored in Japanese education, are useful but can only be realized by complementing the second language curriculum. The learning strategies concept is…

This paper discusses the notion of experiential learning, described as an effort to foster the development of the learner as both a person and a language user. Definitions and discussions of implementation strategies for experiential language learning are provided, followed by an examination of ways in which the linguistic content of a course can…

Examines the difficulties students face in making the transition from skills acquisition courses to the study of literature in college foreign language programs. Proposes the creation of a series of courses that emphasize the development of both communicative skills and the analytical tools needed for the study of literature. (SED)

The cognitive restrictions on the beginning second language learner's capacity to deal with structural diversity and the concomitant developmental regularities of his sentence structure are examined. Learners utilize the formal features of a language, the syntactic categories, as building blocks in organizing the structure of the language. (PMJ)

Discusses five components of an English-as-a-Foreign-Language communicative language teaching (CLT) curriculum. These include language arts, teaching language for a purpose, learning English for personal use, theater arts, and preparing learners for the world beyond the classroom. Suggests the essence of CLT is the engagement of learners in…

Responding to the gap between language and content that prevails in most foreign language departments, discusses the reconceptualization of third-year German in the curricular reform at Georgetown University. Comments on the concept of "task" that guided the reform and outlines the design of the new advanced course, discusses one course module in…

Describes a French department's efforts to free itself of course sequences organized by century, questions the value of curriculum based primarily on the past and recommends that faculty members be more open to new approaches made accessible through theater, cinema, and cultural studies. (Author/VWL)

Outlines helpful steps to assist the foreign language teacher in integrating video into the foreign language curriculum. Information is provided on where to find, review, and select video materials; on setting instructional objectives and uses for video; and developing and selecting support materials. (Author/OD)

Reasons are presented for why reading books in English and German is an important element in the German classroom. Books are suggested for students to read, along with ways to integrate outside reading into the curriculum. Materials cited can be obtained from the American Association of Teachers of German. (Author/LB)

Testing issues and concerns that should receive renewed and increased professional attention are highlighted. These include curriculum concerns, developmental matters; generalizability, content and format considerations, contextualization issues, and technology concerns. (JL)

This article proposes a reconsideration of curricular objectives with respect to the teaching of culture, in the interest of broadening the humanistic scope of the second/foreign language curriculum while at the same time alleviating the pressure of a typically over-extended instructional agenda. Recent research and theory support a relational…

The 2008 Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages focused on learning about the diverse backgrounds and needs of today's students. The 2009 Conference continued that focus and added diversity by instructors in using a variety of teaching methods, strategies, themes, technologies, and assessments. Presenters from all 17 states…

The specific purpose of education is to "prepare" children so that they are able to maximise their potential and participate in the society or community around them. In order for many Third World nations to access information technology, the provision of language programs, particularly English, has become necessary. However, in the…

The patterns of acquisition of the passe compose and imperfect tenses in French among 16 adult beginning and intermediate students were studied. Based on 15-minute speech samples in which both verb tenses were elicited by seeded questions and cues for descriptive and narrative monologues, the intermediate learners had greater success with the…