Leaders in government and business are expressing a need for stronger programs in foreign language education that address national and state needs in defense, diplomacy, and commerce. The deterioration in foreign language capabilities in the United States results from declining participation in foreign language and cultural education. No concrete…

An analysis and discussion of regulations in the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act focus on policy issues concerning requirements for language proficiency and knowledge of United States history and government for immigrant amnesty. Five specific issues are addressed: 1) the discriminatory effect of requiring only amnesty applicants to…

This document describes various models of vocational training directed specifically at adults with limited English proficiency (LEP). An introduction explains how the information was obtained (through interviews with staff and officials at state agencies that administer such programs in six states). Section 2 presents a conceptual framework of…

This document presents the major findings from a study of vocational training and other employment-related services for adults and out-of-school youth with limited English proficiency (LEP). An introduction describes the study and its purposes. Chapter 2 presents estimates and projections of the LEP population to the year 2000 and describes this…

This document contains the results of case studies of programs and policies relative to vocational training and other employment-related services for adults with limited English proficiency (LEP). Data were collected from officials and staff at state agencies that administer vocational educational programs in Arizona, California, Florida,…

This monograph is designed to acquaint classroom teachers with the language proficiency guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and the oral testing guidelines of the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The guidelines are intended for language proficiency assessment by the oral interview technique. Designated…

This study examined language and reading ability in English monolinguals, Spanish monolinguals, and two bilingual groups at the beginning of kindergarten and at the beginning of first grade. The study also compared the family background of the children on home literacy, parent education, and the parents' aspirations for their children. In…

This study investigated the Spanish language proficiency of Hispanic students in bilingual education programs in north central New Mexico to determine the relative importance of a bilingual pedagogical approach in the development and retention of the minority language. Students from grades 1-8 (n=105) were subjects. Measures included a Spanish…

This document consists of three papers which explore aspects of language use in science classrooms descriptively and prescriptively, based on naturalistic and experimental observations. The discovery of the importance of the verbal mode of communication through involvement in creating computer-based activities is discussed. Papers include: (1)…

In Zimbabwe, university students continue to have problems with scientific communication despite the fact that English is a widely-used second language and students have received most formal science instruction in English. However, the problems differ from those of both students of English as a foreign language and students studying their first…

Ottawa's program of middle French immersion (MFI) instruction, beginning in fourth grade, was evaluated when the first cohort reached sixth grade. Results of the study were compared with those of other groups, particularly the early French immersion (EFI) program and late French immersion (LFI) program students. The evaluation also added data from…

This paper describes studies conducted in Saudi Arabia that: (1) investigated the effect of the number of orthographic alternatives of English consonant sounds on the spelling responses of 48 first-year secondary students studying English as a foreign language (EFL); and (2) compared the use of two spelling mechanisms of these first-year secondary…

As part of an examination required by the Alberta (Canada) Department of Education in order for 12th grade students to receive a diploma in French, this booklet contains the reading selections portion of Part B, the language and literature component of the January 1987 tests. Representing the genres of poetry, short story, novel, and drama, the…

As part of an examination required by the Alberta (Canada) Department of Education in order for 12th grade students to receive a diploma in French, this booklet contains the 80 multiple choice questions portion of Part B, the language and literature component of the January 1987 tests. Representing the genres of poetry, short story, the novel, and…

A technique for teaching English as a foreign language (EFL) that requires students to write relatively simple English in large volume has been successful in developing both language skills and self-confidence. Students rewrite stories to reflect situations and conditions different from those in the original telling; for example, by changing the…