In 1971 and 1972 a group of Ecuadorean evaluators planned and carried out an evaluation of the new textbooks for reading, mathematics, and sciences in the first grade classrooms of 88 schools. A field experiment was designed in which each school was assigned to a test condition: (1) obligatory use of all the textbooks and guides, (2) use of the…

The process of national integration does not necessarily require monolingualism. The western, post-Versailles, intellectual heritage prompts contemporary sociologists to assume that cultural and linguistic differences automatically tend toward demands for nation formation and language recognition. Countries like India prove otherwise. Not all…

The classroom presentation of authentic nonverbal behavior as a legitimate and useful activity in the teaching of the foreign culture is explored in this report. The author focuses on the need for cross-cultural inventories for each of the commonly taught languages in American schools and colleges. Means by which currently-used language texts can…

This article, concerning the role of foreign language instruction within the framework of career education, provides a brief review of newly emerging educational theory. Several definitions of career education trace their origins back to the "life adjustment" educational philosophy proposed by John Dewey. A model program for career education, the…

This report consists of summaries of papers given at the conference at the University of Hull on "Post 'A'-Level German Teaching" in England and includes summaries of the discussion which followed. Topics and papers included are (1) the present position of German in schools, colleges of education, polytechnics and colleges of further…

This minicourse guide for teachers of French is intended to help motivate and prepare students for travel in France. Activities are outlined in eleven related areas, including (1) planning for the trip, (2) currency, (3) going through customs, (4) tipping, (5) shopping, (6) guided tours, (7) touring on your own, (8) social life and entertainment,…

An imaginary trip to Spain is outlined in this minicourse guide. Several of the course objectives are (1) to give students a broad overview of Spain--historically, geographically, and culturally; (2) to develop interest in Spain and the Spanish language; (3) to introduce useful Spanish vocabulary; (4) to develop an awareness of cultural…

Three interrelated, principal factors bearing on the concept of "individualized instruction" are critically examined in this study. They include the notions of: (1) "integrity of the discipline," (2) "democratization" of instruction, and (3) academic accountability. Discussion of the growing mythology surrounding individualized instruction reveals…

Training procedures used with foreign language interms in the Stanford Secondary Teacher Education Program during the summer of 1970 are described in this memorandum. Principal departures from the more traditional microteaching procedures allow students to work in more realistic and natural settings while practice-teaching and permit replacement…

Transfer procedures in the case of students transferring from junior colleges to upper level institutions (institutions offering only upper level and graduate work) should be as flexible as possible. Four major points should be followed closely in developing transfer policies: (1) Upper level institutions should develop programs that cater to the…

Recognizing that the tenets of behaviorism and structuralism are being questioned today by the advocates of the new cognitive-transformationalist theory, the authors represented in this collection of papers redefine the potential role and discuss the function of the language laboratory in second language acquisition. Papers given at the 1970…

The purpose of this brochure is to illustrate the nature, value, and impact of the Foreign Curriculum Consultant Program of the United States Office of Education. This program, in existence since 1964, involves curriculum consultants from other countries who are specialists in the language and culture of their homelands. Twelve articles by a…

This speech, concerning the dilemma of maintaining and increasing student enrollment in classics programs in a time of national decline, centers about personal experiences encountered by a secondary level teacher and underscores the negative effects of overcrowded language programs and lack of support from guidance departments. As a means of…

Criticism of traditional methods of foreign language vocabulary study points out the need for a well-organized and systematic approach to information retrieval. A dual method is proposed which involves a learning and retrieval unit. Detailed description of the two systems illustrates how the student may allot and use his revision time in the most…

This study is the third in a series (EJ 068 961, EJ 130 474) of state surveys of middle schools in the upper midwest states of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The total data cover the period from 1970-1977. Presents some of the composite findings regarding organizational, curricular, and instructional practices. Methods of pupil…