The demand for an improved international dimension in American education is a move in the right direction, and American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and Educational Testing Service efforts in defining foreign language proficiency guidelines and developing a reliable mechanism for testing oral proficiency have resulted in…

The core of the case for bilingual education is that the principles underlying successful bilingual education emphasize the same factors that underlie successful language acquisition in general: understanding messages and obtaining comprehensible input; using background knowledge; and the development of literacy. The importance of the first…

The National Core French Study had the objectives of defining and developing four syllabuses and assessing their applicability in Core French classes in Canadian elementary and secondary schools. The communicative/experiential syllabus reported on here reflects real-life language use needs. The first chapter is introductory. The second elaborates…

The teachers' guide for a 4-week, 4-hours-per-day elementary school summer program in French consists of information and suggestions for program implementation and materials for use with students. The introductory section contains a general program description, including broad program objectives for language comprehension, language production, and…

This digest discusses the issues involved in implementing middle school foreign language programs. A number of implementation and instructional issues are highlighted, including: scheduling, staffing, teacher recruitment, teacher certification, staff development, curriculum development, teaching methods, and instructional materials. (VWL)

This curriculum guide for a Spanish and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) literacy unit for adult students consists of an introductory section, a diagnostic test and a course of instruction, and appended materials. The introduction outlines the institution's part-time personnel policies as they relate to program instructors, common questions and…

Interest in elementary school foreign language programs has resurfaced in recent years, and the number of programs is increasing. Many states are requiring foreign language study at the elementary level. For a local school or community seeking to implement elementary school language programs, it is important that a rationale be developed to meet…

The implementation of New York City secondary-level transitional classes in English as a second language (ESL) is evaluated. The classes are designed to improve the listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English necessary for success in mainstream classes. This evaluation, based on data gathered via site visits, interviews, and an…

The Summer Language Houses (SLH) in French, German, and Spanish at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have been extremely effective in teaching language skills and encouraging students to continue language study. The five-week intensive language programs at the second-year level emphasize oral communication but provide practice in all language…

Interpreting is an example of context-bound performance in which the interpreter has a prescribed role in infinitely varied contexts. The use of interpreting to train language students in confident and competent language use in less demanding contexts contributes to the development of both interpersonal skills and the ability to switch language…

This report describes two out-of-class techniques used to promote communicative competence among community college students of English as a second language (ESL). Dialogue journals provide regular written communication between language students and their instructors. The journals can be used for validating, encouraging, and reinforcing students'…

A study was designed to assess French second language proficiency, native language skills, and academic achievement of students in an intensive French program in an English language school in Montreal. Subjects consisted of three groups of grade 4 and three groups of grade 5 students, each grade level having one group from the intensive French…

Open enrollment is an essential feature of the Education Department of the International Institute in St. Louis, a refugee sponsoring group offering a wide range of social, housing, and medical services; job counseling and placement; and English as a second language classes. The institute allows students to begin a language training program…

Suggestions are given for structuring an eight-semester undergraduate foreign language major with a specialization in translating and interpreting from the target language into English. The program includes three training stages: theoretical training in the discipline, practice in the discipline, and expansion of general knowledge. Course topics…

Results of a survey of 1,416 elementary schools and 1,349 secondary schools concerning foreign language instruction are reported. The survey sought to provide a national picture of foreign language education in public and private schools by investigating demographics, the amount of instruction provided, enrollment, specific offerings, program…