In recent debates about curriculum, Young (2008, p. 101) has proposed school learning must involve initiation into the "powerful knowledge" of the disciplines that underpin subject domains, thereby "giving students the tools to think the unthinkable". Opponents query whether such knowledge is available in subjects such as…

Paper delivered at the Biennial Conference of the New England Modern Language Teachers' Association in October 1971. (DS)

In Australia, foreign languages are no longer required study. Asian languages and English as a foreign language are the most widely studied. Introductory linguistics courses are often given prior to actual foreign language instruction, and traditional teaching methods have been displaced by the use of sound and visual recordings. (AG)

Recommendations are made for a curriculum in first year language introductory courses in New South Wales high schools which would place greater emphasis on cultural understanding than on language itself. A sample course outline is given and suggestions for group and individual activity given. (RM)

Examines foreign language teaching methodologies developed in various parts of the United Kingdom, and then looks at implications for Australian classrooms. The establishment of a framework for adult language learning is stressed, based upon the language needs of the learner and the linguistic operations required in order to function effectively…

The decline in foreign language study in New South Wales is described, and suggestions are made for change in course content and organization to make foreign language study interesting and helpful to a larger number of students. (RM)

This paper offers a current overview and a commentary on the current state and future directions of research in second language learning. It begins by outlining the ways perceptions of the world influence research and teaching. It then explores the contexts in which one individual has explored learning in second languages. Then an opinion is…

This document is an English-language abstract (approximately 1,500 words) of a survey concerning the teaching of foreign languages in Australia. Experimental research into the validity of the various aims and claims for foreign language teaching is summarized, and the authors conclude that while much research has been done on cognitive aspects,…

A report on the teaching of modern languages in Australian higher education is presented in two volumes. The first volume contains the text of the report. An introductory section describes the aims and methodology of the national review and places it in a historical context. The remainder of this volume is in three parts. The first part identifies…