This paper reports on a research project involving a sample of 19 state-educated students in their first year of a German course at Oxford University. The project is one of a number of research studies into widening participation issues funded by the Higher Education Funding Council of England (HEFCE) and the Sutton trust. The paper describes the…

The present article describes a research that determined the factors influencing language schools in Brazil to adopt the Internet as a teaching tool. The theoretical framework used was Rogers, E. (1995). "Diffusion of innovation" (4th ed.). New York: The Free Press. theory of perceived attributes. A survey was carried out with 92…

Indiana State University?s (ISU) foreign language requirement curriculum serves as a model for the 21st century. Unique to the program is an emphasis on integrating the common goals of general education and multicultural studies with the development of critical thinking skills to reach overall objectives of communicative competency, cultural…

This discussion paper is part of a larger Movement for Canadian Literacy (MCL) project entitled "Linkages: Connecting Literacy and English as a Second Language" (ESL). The goal of the overall project is for MCL to work with national organizations that support the ESL/Settlement and literacy fields to identify common issues and concerns…

Twenty-nine percent of students enrolled in Austin Independent School District were English language learners in 2009-2010. The majority of them (62%) continued to make progress in English proficiency, and their state academic test (TAKS) performance continued to improve over the years.

A University of Dublin (Ireland) curriculum restructuring project in the undergraduate second language program is chronicled, and ongoing curriculum development efforts are described. As a result of curriculum research, the university offered a series of freshman French and German courses in 1994-95 and a series of second-year courses to students…

A study investigated the nature and extent of English curricula and resources available for English language learning in Taiwan's universities. Data were drawn from a survey of 18 coordinators of English programs for non-English majors (EPNMs) in Taiwan universities and from examination of course descriptions. Results indicate that all…

The report summarizes a British research project, part of a larger initiative on educational quality, concerning the extent of secondary students' knowledge about the nature of language, native and foreign, alongside development of practical language skills. The main study was an empirical investigation of the teaching of English and foreign…

Based on widespread teacher perceptions that British upper secondary school students entering advanced language courses are poorly prepared, an approach for making the transition to advanced language instruction is suggested. Teachers are invited to use existing syllabuses creatively to develop language awareness as well as language skills. Four…

The Advanced French Business course developed at St. John's University in New York is described. It emphasizes meeting students' needs for knowledge of the specialized vocabulary, expressions, and cultural information in a French-speaking business environment. It is designed for students who are at an intermediate-advanced level in French…

The manual is designed to help Peace Corps language teachers design simple evaluation procedures that will: (1) help them select appropriate classroom activities; (2) encourage students to self-monitor their progress and take responsibility for learning; and (3) give insight into student aptitudes. An introductory chapter examines the relationship…

This article suggests that the terms "bilingual education, multicultural education, bilingual instruction, and total immersion" refer to four distinct processes, each needing to be defined more clearly. To define them, a theoretical framework is proposed based on two sets of variables. The first set integrates the anthropological model of human…

The process and issues of labeling language program models is discussed insofar as it may affect the objectives, content, and method of instruction. The first section describes the origins, stated objectives, and implementation of a Neuchatel (Switzerland) school program integrating heritage language and culture into the school curriculum, noting…

Cross-cultural competence is a recent movement with important implications for foreign language teaching, schools of business and economics, and firms engaged in either international or national commerce. Until now, it has not been adequately addressed. Higher education must investigate strategies for more effective integration of culture into the…

A 1984 survey of 830 students at 3 private colleges in Sapporo, Japan investigated perceptions of non-Japanese language teachers as role models (persons who are not actively seeking to alter the behavior of those around them) and social change agents (persons who actively attempt to initiate or serve as a catalyst in community improvement). The…