Traditional British attitudes toward foreigners, which are now being challenged by current economic realities, and the increasing internationalization of British business, which magnifies the need for employees to communicate effectively with people from other countries and cultures, are discussed. A brief overview is provided that covers recent…

This curriculum guideline provides suggestions for the organization of courses of study in Core French programs at all levels from kindergarten to grade 9. The aim of the Core French programs, as distinguished from extended and immersion programs, is to provide opportunities for students to develop communication skills in French, an understanding…

The second of a three-part series on computer-assisted instruction (CAI), this report focuses on the use of microcomputers in business education, English, social studies, foreign languages, bilingual education, and ESL (English as a Second Language). Since all these areas involve writing, a discussion of word processors and word processing…

The current situation of foreign language education at all educational levels in the United States, is examined with emphasis on new developments in instruction, testing, and program design. In a section titled "The Foreign Language Crisis," the combination of declining foreign language enrollment and increasing need for language skills…

The role of the southern United States in internationalizing the U.S. economy and developments in the international field at universities and colleges are discussed. It is noted that southern firms as well as the financial system are becoming integrated internationally. Consideration is given to the business curriculum, foreign language study, and…

The 1988 Summer Bilingual Program served 1,171 ninth- through twelfth-graders with limited English proficiency (LEP) at 10 New York City sites. Designed especially for the substantial number of LEP students who were overage for their grade, the program offered 14 English as a Second Language (ESL) and 17 bilingual content area classes in science,…

Specific ideas and procedures for motivating employees to sign up for and attend classes in English are outlined. The roles of the management in general and the supervisor in particular in supporting and encouraging attendance are emphasized. These individuals are seen as important in motivating, scheduling, implementing and retaining students,…

A shift in instructional focus to student needs and interests spurred the development of a different approach to French second language program design in Alberta. A practical curriculum planning model is offered that is based on: (1) communicative and student-centered activities; (2) responsiveness to teacher needs; and (3) supporting planning for…

A study evaluated the comparative training effectiveness of three language instruction methods: (1) suggestopedia, (2) the standard methodology used at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, a functional skill-building approach, and (3) a flexible-scheduling version of the standard methodology, with pacing based on group…

A study of the child's experience in learning a second language as it is embedded in his experience of kindergarten looks at two classes of unilingual (English-speaking) Canadian children in a half-day French immersion program. The immersion experience for the children is described in these terms: what "French" means to them; what and how they…

The University of San Francisco developed a certificate program in Western European area studies covering French-speaking countries, and subsequently a Latin American area studies program for Spanish-speaking countries, in response to uneven language enrollments and as a means of increasing intermediate-level enrollment. The French program begins…

Techniques for teaching marketing to students of business Spanish are discussed, including an examination and classification of marketing concepts, analysis of the significant and growing United States Hispanic market, and English- and Spanish-language samples of computer-assisted instructional (CAI) materials used in two colleges (Youngstown…

An internship program in France, through which a group of French and business students from an American university spent 4 weeks in a medium-sized business, is described. The program's origins, development, and structure are reviewed, and the obstacles to implementation and their resolutions are discussed. Choices made and lessons learned from…

Mississippi State University's revamped undergraduate foreign language program was designed to attract new students interested in job preparedness. The B.S. program is tightly structured to provide students with both general education and expertise in four areas of study essential for a career in world trade: foreign language fluency, proficiency…

The conceptual framework within which Alberta's elementary school French immersion programs are designed is presented. The first of three main sections outlines the evolution of the concept of language and some second language instructional approaches, including the structural, formalist, functional, and communicative approaches. It also discusses…