This digest considers the problems of foreign language instruction in small high schools and discusses possible solutions. A critical challenge for American education, pointed out by reform reports of the 1980's, is improvement of instruction in foreign languages to instill language proficiency. These national concerns have been translated into…

An overview of the foreign language requirements in the new Part 100 of the New York State Commissioner's regulations for public schools is presented to aid local school personnel in designing foreign language programs and advising students regarding the new statewide requirements. The summary first defines the terms used, and then outlines: the…

A study to determine whether college students in first-, second-, and third-year Spanish courses who saw and heard dialogs between native speakers would score significantly higher on a listening comprehension test than those who only heard the dialogs had as its subjects 178 students randomly divided into two treatment groups. Twenty-seven…

A revised and updated version of the San Francisco Community College District's (SFCCD's) master plan for the English as a Second Language (ESL) program in adult education is presented. Introductory materials discuss the scope of the ESL program, the master plan, instructional methods and approaches, communication competence, limiting context and…

An Iowa high school's experience with producing a biennial statewide foreign language fair is described. The objectives have been to have students enjoy using their second languages, especially with people to whom they have never spoken before, and to enliven the winter months. Every language teacher and student, as well as others on the staff,…

The history of public policy concerning Cajun French instruction in Louisiana is reviewed, and the prospects for regeneration of the language in the state's schools are examined. (MSE)

Argues that two forms of leadership exist currently in college and university foreign language departments: the top publishing and public-speaking scholars; and the people who chair the departments, dealing with the daily business of staffing courses and working with faculty and administrators. Suggests the two types of leaders operate in…

The Department of Modern Languages and Cultures at Pace University (New York) has responded to uneven language enrollments by developing two new majors: (1) modern languages and cultures, in which students must demonstrate proficiency in any two modern languages offered, and (2) language, culture, and world trade, an interdisciplinary applied…

A college advanced speaking course designed with the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines is described. Students prepared and performed many communicative tasks, including narrating, describing, hypothesizing, supporting an opinion, debating, and interviewing for a job. Other components include pair and small-group work, audio and videotaping, and pre-…

The renovation of the Language Lab at the University of Notre Dame and the creation of the Language Resource Center are described. Challenges related to poor facility design and limited equipment are recounted, along with the role played by the university's director of foundation and corporate relations. (LB)

A discussion of the status of German second language instruction, particularly at the postsecondary level, focuses on the role of standards, curriculum, and testing in increasing interest in and support for foreign language education. A substantial decline in German enrollments in the first half of the 1990s is noted, and possible reasons are…

This teacher's guide accompanies a program designed as an introduction to Spanish as a second language in a daily, 4-hour elementary summer school program of 4 weeks in duration. The program is described as an activity-oriented, communication-based elementary foreign language immersion program. Detailed plans are provided for the first three…

Evaluation of foreign languages in the elementary school (FLES) programs is needed to provide feedback (descriptive data about a school's offerings) and accountability (program accomplishments). Thorough program evaluation verifies both a district's thoughtful, written philosophy of foreign language education and local goals. Some FLES program…

The evolution of the Workplace Education Service that operates in South Australia is chronicled. Begun as a single program designed to integrate workplace literacy, English as a Second Language, and literacy education for both native and non-native English-speakers in an automobile plant, the project grew into a network of programs and services in…

This report calls for a major change in foreign language education in the state of Utah, moving from an instructional emphasis on the study of grammar to performance in speaking skills that can be sustained through instruction in reading, writing, and structural knowledge. This mastery curriculum will enable students to progress in language…