Experiential learning and experiential education are defined and compared to classroom-based learning. Scandinavian Seminar, an American-Scandinavian organization with a one-year independent living and learning program, is described. The process of second-language learning, cultural immersion, and attitudes in language learning are discussed. (MLW)

Examines the potential for autonomous learning programs to address the problems of first (minority) language loss. The article outlines personal, political, and practical arguments for preventing such loss during second-language acquisition; describes an autonomous program in Canada addressing these issues; and discusses the implications of these…

The availability of multi-media technologies in education has made the option of independent learning increasingly attractive. Whilst independent learning presents learners with a more flexible learning context, it also presents new challenges in assessment in that the onus is placed upon the learners themselves to monitor and evaluate their own…

This paper raises the question of how flexible approaches to learning are to contextual factors, as opposed to being culturally determined, with specific reference to autonomy in Chinese students studying in the UK. We describe the outcome of a research project which investigated Chinese undergraduates studying English language as part of their UK…

This paper describes the 3-year development of the Language Resources Centre at the University of Southampton. The Centre provides a range of self-access resources and facilities in a pleasant working environment for language learners. It offers assistance for languages taught at the university as well as for languages not taught at the…

Results of two studies of microcomputer use for second language instruction at the secondary level are reported. The investigation is based on observations made at the University of Illinois' University High School, which serves academically talented students from the surrounding area. The school's computer laboratory uses software packages for…

After presenting evidence that there is a wide gap between teaching a language and translating a language, reasons for proposing a program in Russian translation are offered. The proposed program for Iowa State University will be selective in admission of undergraduate Russian majors. The program will lead to a certificate in conjunction with the…

An attempt at promoting greater variety and thus better student attitudes toward open languages laboratory attendance involves a set pattern of five specific steps in the preparation of taped exercises. Three basic principles are prescribed and illustrated by examples in German, French, and English as a foreign language. (RL)

The phonology/pronunciation course of the Canadian government's advanced language training program emphasizes activities which generate student motivation and optimism in overcoming "fossilized" pronunciation (pronunciation highly resistant to change). Activities include: oral reading, feedback, recording of reading, and self-directed…

Discusses the outcomes of an investigation into the motives and appreciation of autonomous language learners among students and staff of the Department of Individual Foreign Language Studies at the University of Amsterdam. The results showed so much variety that any conclusions or correlations were hard to make. (Author/SED)

This compact disc (CD) offers 20 lessons based on selected Chinese language video clips. Filmed on location in Beijing, these naturalistic video clips consist mainly of unrehearsed interviews with ordinary people. The learner is lead through a series of activities aiding comprehension and learning that sharpen communication strategies and…

This compact disc offers several lessons in Chinese, including a photo feature from a Chinese newspaper, the service directory from a Chinese hotel room, a pamphlet for travelers from Taiwan, a family letter, an introduction to Chinese cuisine, an article about a hijacking, a letter of agreement between institutions, an odyssey of a teenaged boy,…

This compact disc includes video clips covering six topics for the learner of Chinese: personal information, commercial transactions, travel and leisure, health and sports, food and school. Filmed on location in Beijing, these naturalistic video clips consist mainly of unrehearsed interviews of ordinary people. The learner is lead through a series…

This compact disc offers 15 Korean lessons from a variety of authentic sources including notes found on the family refrigerator, traditional folk tales, modern poetry, and Web journal articles about politics, technology, and popular culture. The learner is lead through a series of activities aiding comprehension and learning that sharpen…

This compact disc offers 10 Korean lessons from a variety of authentic sources, including the following: television commercials and scenes from a soap opera, news reports on politics, sports, the environment, and a book fair; and scenes from a Korean film, "Our Twisted Hero." The learner is lead through a series of activities aiding…