The guide is one section of a resource kit designed to assist Peace Corps language instruction coordinators in countries around the world in understanding the principles underlying second language learning and teaching and in organizing instructional programs. This section addresses assessment issues. An introductory chapter gives an overview of…

A revision of a manual first produced in 1980, this guide is designed to help local school districts in Minnesota meet the educational needs of their limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in academically and administratively expedient ways. The chapters in the manual, which correspond to topics pertinent to designing and maintaining an LEP…

The results of the achievement and enrollment study are reported for six elementary foreign language magnet programs that were implemented as part of the desegregation plan in Kansas City, Missouri. In addition to the foundation curriculum, two goals are emphasized: teaching foreign language and exposing students to foreign cultures. Three strands…

"Application Performance," a supplemental drill in the Japanese language program at Oregon State University, is described as a way to develop students' communicative competence. The approach is a type of role play, with pairs of students preparing a dialogue according to a situation provided by the instructor and then performed in class.…

The process of revising the second language curriculum in a Japanese postsecondary vocational school is described, focusing on the collaborative approach taken. The school provides second language instruction and vocational training in several occupational areas. A number of research teams or "focus groups" were established, each with a…

Research suggests a widespread perception that language study in higher education is an end in itself, as the preservation of culture. However, in Australia, university second language programs have been designed for practical purposes, and increasing pressure is seen for instruction in languages for special purposes (LSP). The question of whether…

A study of the State Legalization Impact Assistance Grant (SLIAG) program in Illinois, federally funded under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, is presented. The program assists the state in providing English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and civics instruction to help undocumented immigrants meet legal residency requirements. Data were…

Based on a long-term comparative ethnographic study in two Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) public schools, the study reported here describes what two teachers do to create successful learning contexts for the biliterate development of linguistic minority children in their classes. Two classrooms situated in contrasting community, program, and language…

The proficiency-based German program in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University occupies an essential and integral but not central role in the overall foreign service program. It includes three years' instruction, in addition to the two years required for admission. Three levels are offered, and although students may take the…

The "VCCA Journal" presents feature articles, abstracts, teaching strategies, book reviews and announcements. The first issue of Volume 3 includes the following articles: (1) "The Alliance for Excellence: A Model for Articulation between the Community College and the Black Church," by Ervin Griffin; (2) "Traditional and…

The writings included in this student-produced publication are those of students in the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union's (ILGWU's) Worker-Family Education Program technical and English-as-a-Second-Language classes at a Bronx (New York) local unit. The collection of writings consists of personal narratives, interviews, dialogues,…

This special report on the assessment of French immersion students in Alberta focuses on critical issues and methodological problems with testing methods. After an introduction, the second section gives an overview of these issues and problems. Issues discussed include the following: whether students instructed in French immersion programs should…

Evaluation of a county system of intensive language instruction in special language centers, including subject-area instruction in social studies, science, and mathematics, for limited-English-speaking high school students found improvement in program consistency, retention, enrollment, and completion. The program was found to be helpful to…

This paper reports on an innovative five-day training program for foreign language teaching assistants (TAs) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW). The program developed out of a perceived need to train graduate students better for the teaching profession and to develop colleague support. In the UW program, the French and Italian, German,…

Bilingual immersion programs combine second language immersion for language majority children and bilingual education for language minority children. The programs are based on the underlying assumption of the immersion model: that a second language is best learned as a medium of instruction, not as the object of instruction. However, they are not…