Issues 2-4 of this volume of the newsletter concerning foreign language instruction in elementary schools (FLES) contain articles on theory, classroom practice, instructional materials, class activities, and professional news, including conferences and information on public policy at the federal level. Articles in these issues include the…

The final phase of a three-phase study of bilingual education and English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in 144 Texas school districts is reported. The study was conducted from 1985-86 to 1988-89 through site visits and interviews with administrators and teachers. Descriptive data for six schools, selected for the effectiveness of their…

This curriculum guide outlines Prince George's County (MD) schools' seventh and eighth grade program of exploratory foreign language. Topics presented include: administrative and instructional policy statements; course overview; notes on concepts, skills, and content; timetables for fall and spring semester courses; rationale and goals; student…

The knowledge and skills needed by college entrants are described in depth. Attention is directed to six basic academic competencies that are general skills necessary for effective work in all subjects, along with six basic academic subjects on which college-level study is based. The following basic academic competencies are outlined: reading,…

A small college in Iowa (Westmar College) undertook an experimental program to determine an experimental program to determine reading skills of underprepared students. Subjects were 20 students reading below the 12th grade level, of whom 9 were chosen randomly and offered a beginning German course instead of remedial reading. All elected to take…

A foreign language segment was integrated into the exploratory curriculum of the sixth grade in Marion, Indiana's middle schools. The overall course offers nine-week segments in home economics, industrial arts, computer literacy, and foreign language, introducing the children to curricular areas they may select later in middle school. In the…

A teaching handbook accompanying North Carolina's revised competency-based curriculum for second language instruction in elementary and secondary schools is presented. An introductory section outlines the philosophy and rationale behind the curriculum and its revision, discusses the role of thinking skills in learning, briefly describes programs…

Canada's Settlement Language Training Program (SLTP) began in 1986 to provide language training support for immigrants and refugees not bound for the labor force and likely to experience difficulties gaining access to language training through existing programs. Women in particular are targeted. The training is provided through community agencies.…

This annotated bibliography includes citations of 197 documents, monographs, reports, handouts, curricular materials, articles, bibliographies, newsletters, and publishers' catalogs related to English literacy instruction for secondary school limited-English-proficient (LEP) students. An introductory section describes the types of information…

These three issues of the FLES News newsletter contain the following articles: "What I Learned in Second Grade: A French Teacher's Experience" (Pat Westphal); "Foreign Language Program Articulation: Building Bridges from Elementary to Secondary School" (Jo Anne Wilson; an ERIC Digest); "How Do Principals View Foreign…

South Africa's University of the Western Cape developmental program in English as a second language is described and discussed. The program was designed to improve the academic achievement of native Afrikaans-speaking first-year students by improving their English competence. The students are a high-risk subgroup of students in a general…

Languages have lost status in the educational system, and oral skills are less effectively and rigorously taught. However, a University of Leeds program providing short, intensive courses in administrative and legal French for British civil servants has been found to be very effective in developing the participants' oral and aural skills. The…

Hearings on reauthorization of Titles II, VI, VIII, X, and XI of the Higher Education Act are presented. For Title II, the college library programs, Congress seeks acceptable criteria for providing library aid based on need and to determine needs for traineeships and fellowships for professional and paraprofessional librarians. Considerations for…

The dramatic rebirth of the foreign language department in a four-year liberal arts college is documented. The process is described as having three stages: assessment of the department's curricular mission in light of the changed student constituency; development of a long-range plan for outreach and public relations activities to prepare the way…

When asked by the business department for a language component for its new area of concentration in international business, the modern language department of a small liberal arts college capitalized on a recently devised competence-based curriculum. The curriculum, established in the college's general education curriculum as an alternate track to…