Describes the Kiswahili language and the increasing interest taken in studying Kiswahili by African-American students. Overall, college students' interest in foreign languages is declining, but awareness of and curiosity about African languages, particularly Kiswahili, represent student interest in African culture and heritage. (SLD)

Compares English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and foreign-language instruction in terms of the context of learning and course goals. Considers the differences in the backgrounds, attitudes, motivations, sociocultural characteristics, personality factors, and learning styles of ESL and foreign-language students. (GFW)

Glendale Community College's (AZ) Spanish-language education program includes priorities in the following areas: four skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) and culture; counseling students; and use of technology for teaching and assessing language use and for professional development. (LB)

This article examines instances of "para-poetic" writing produced by beginning and intermediate learners of English as a Second Language. It is suggested that the instructor or reader look beyond the conventional grammar and usage rules to appreciate the imagery of unusual juxtaposition of words and phrases in student work. Provides examples of…

Research findings on written language and literacy in Europe over the past five years are summarized, including the following areas of study: construct of literacy, assessment of literacy problems, emergent literacy, reading and writing development, and individual differences in literacy acquisition. (140 references) (LB)

Presents a summary of the findings of an 18-month longitudinal study which examined how foreign language teachers' conceptions of their classroom practice developed as they participated in an inservice teacher education program. Discusses how shared professional discourse helped increase the complexity of their thinking. (SM)

Describes the role of technology in teaching foreign languages. Offers a brief history of language lab technologies, including computer use for drill-and-practice, text reconstruction, and simulations and games. Discusses tool programs, intelligent systems, video technology, satellite television, videodisc and interactive video, hypertext and…

Summarizes presentations at an international symposium on "Autonomy and Foreign Language Learning." Topics include the good language learner; experiments in learner autonomy; individualized learning in Italian universities; adult language learning; learner autonomy in the classroom; cultural variation in learning styles; use of…

Examines secondary-level Spanish speakers' linguistic needs, highlighting foreign-language teachers' roles. The article outlines a model of acquisition that integrates student development in Spanish with acquisition of English, reviews theories of instruction, describes exemplary programs, discusses unique assessment needs, and analyzes the…

Australia's Griffith University introduced computer assisted language learning (CALL) to existing language curricula in the Department of Asian and International Studies, offering professional development to support the faculty. Evaluation of faculty and student attitudes and program outcomes indicated that with appropriate support, CALL had a…

Examines how college-level intermediate English-as-a-Second-Language students modify interaction when engaged in small-group versus pair work, and whether task type (optional versus required information exchange) affects amount of language and interaction individual students produce. Results suggest "negotiation of meaning" is not a…

Describes a team teaching program for first-year French and Spanish courses at the Plattsburgh State University of New York. Goals were to (1) facilitate pedagogical cooperation between college foreign language and literature faculty and local middle and high school students; (2) improve articulation between secondary and postsecondary foreign…

Describes an approach to needs and syllabus design that is illustrated by way of pedagogic elements comprising the learning environment of second-year Japanese college students, doctors in training, who read, discuss, and write in response to medical case studies accessed and mediated through the Internet. (Author/VWL)

Examined effects of instructional components for studying literature on limited-English-proficient and English-proficient students, part of an ongoing program to estimate effects of several individual components of a Spanish-to-English language-arts transition program. Found that combined effects of literature logs and instructional conversations…

Describes a program for teaching oral communication in large English-as-a-Foreign-Language classes that focuses on the link between listening and speaking; accuracy, fluency, interaction, and meaning; authentic language use; feedback and correction; opportunities to initiate oral communication; development of speaking strategies, and motivating…