The status of foreign language education is discussed in the context of increased enrollments and the current fervor to raise academic standards generally. Problems related to the increased enrollments in high school language courses (audiolingually oriented), and the rather inflexible attitudes of college language departments (literature…

Noting a 14.3 percent decline in student enrollment in college German-language programs between the fall terms of 1968 and 1970, an analysis of the situation is developed and proposals for reversing the trend are outlined. Six major sections discuss: (1) the sad evidence of figures and what they mean for German, (2) the foreign language crisis…

Describes the implementation of a first-year comprehension-based Spanish language program at New Mexico State University. Includes a discussion of the history of the program and of the problems encountered in changing a traditional curriculum. Also describes the materials, classroom practice, and testing and evaluation techniques used in the…

Statistics indicate a growing interest in the study of Latin across the country. In elementary and secondary schools, it is taught as an end in itself and as a means of improving the English language skills and the linguistic background of Hispanic students. The American Classical League supports this revival. (PMJ)

A trend in adult foreign language classes in England is that a large enrollment leads to a large dropout rate. Many dropouts are intimidated by class organization and atmosphere and the range of student ability and experience. Solutions include integration of language classes into adult learning centers and diversification of the syllabus to meet…

This article reports the results of a survey, funded by the American Classical League (ACL) and conducted during 1990-91, that assessed attitudes toward high school foreign-language study, in particular the study of Latin and Greek, in the college admissions process. (21 references) (VWL)

Motivated by attrition in French immersion programs in Canada, a study was undertaken of the perceptions of French coordinators, helping teachers, school principals, and French immersion teachers in British Columbia (Canada) school districts regarding the attrition rate and students' reasons for leaving immersion. The research differed from…

This paper develops the principles which underly the policy statement of the Canadian Teachers' Federation. The introductory material discusses the need to study foreign language in today's interdependent world, and particularly in Canada, an officially bilingual country. Also discussed are the enrollment trends in the provinces and the aims and…

Two papers describe two aspects of French foreign language instruction in West Germany. The first, "L'enseignement du francais en Republique Federale d'Allemagne" by Abel, deals with the institutional framework for French instruction in West Germany. A discussion of the instructional situation looks first at the history of French…

The Swedish National Board of Education studied 7,095 youths (mostly immigrants) who left compulsory school in 1979 and who spoke home languages other than Swedish. The part of the study reported on here revealed that no less than 42% of them stated that they always spoke Swedish with at least one parent, while 22% never spoke Swedish with their…

This issue deals with the problems of reviving the study of French in general, and the use of French in Louisiana in particular. "Rebirth of French in New Orleans" describes a conference on French language teaching held in New Orleans on December 26-30, 1975, and organized jointly by the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF),…

A SUMMARY IS GIVEN OF ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED DURING THE 1964-65 SCHOOL YEAR AS PART OF THE PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTIONAL IMPROVEMENT IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION AUTHORIZED BY TITLE III OF THE NATIONAL DEFENSE EDUCATION ACT. SIGNIFICANT GAINS CITED BY STATE FOREIGN LANGUAGE SUPERVISORS ARE THE DEVELOPMENT OF LONGER SEQUENCES OF STUDY, GROWTH IN…

Major efforts have been made in the United States during the last 15 years to develop high quality programs for the teaching of African languages. These efforts are encountering increasing difficulties which are largely a function of a variety of special problems affecting the teaching of African languages. All of these problems contribute to…

THIS PHASE OF A SURVEY OF EXISTING RUSSIAN LANGUAGE PROGRAMS DURING ACADEMIC YEAR 1966-67 INCLUDES ONLY DATA RELEVANT TO HIGHER INSTITUTIONS. IN ADDITION TO IDENTIFYING THE INSTITUTIONS THAT OFFERED RUSSIAN DURING THAT PERIOD, DATA ARRANGED IN TABLES REVEAL WHERE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS EXIST, AND GIVE NUMERICAL SUMMARIES, BY STATE, OF…

As part of the Goals Clarification topic of the 1975 Northeast Conference, a workshop entitled "The Non-Major Foreign Language Student" was presented. This article contains the workshop's most salient ideas, presented at a time when foreign-language study is in considerable jeopardy at all levels. Offerings are being limited, and highly qualified…