There is no denying the importance of multilingualism in the 21st century; increased travels, student exchanges, global business, diplomacy, and security are mediated by communication. Education is the key to building a strong multilingual world community that will work for peace and stability. However, it may be often overlooked that a successful…

After a teaching experience with the children of Ecuador with so little support, the author has come to greatly appreciate what is available for teachers in the states. Sometimes the best encouragement for a new teacher of FLES is a success story straight from the classroom. In this article, the author shares a few of the tools she has picked up…

The Dearborn Public Schools, with 18,300 students, is located in the Detroit urban area with the largest concentration of Arabic-speaking people in the United States. In order to prepare the students for the 21st century skills and global awareness and in response to parents' requests, the author in collaboration with the school principal and…

Globalization has led to unprecedented interest in expanding foreign language instruction in U.S. schools, particularly at grade levels where traditionally it has not been an option. Languages that previously have been rarely taught, such as Chinese, are frequently the choice of new programs at every level in the K-12 range. As No Child Left…

A discussion of French foreign language instruction in the elementary schools (FLES) in the United States looks at the rationale behind and proliferation of FLES programs and the diversity of program models, including exploratory, traditional second language, and immersion. (MSE)

This book is a wide-ranging anthology that surveys the field of international and area studies as it has developed in the United States from its beginnings and accomplishments under Title VI to the current paradigmatic shifts taking place in research, teaching, and outreach. A number of contributors to this volume provide historical overviews of…

Two numbers of the CLEAR Materials Resource Series that both deal with teaching languages to children have been combined. Number two summarizes the status of foreign language immersion programs in elementary schools in the United States. For each of the 20 states with total or partial immersion programs, the following information is provided: (1)…

Results of a survey of 1,416 elementary schools and 1,349 secondary schools concerning foreign language instruction are reported. The survey sought to provide a national picture of foreign language education in public and private schools by investigating demographics, the amount of instruction provided, enrollment, specific offerings, program…

Numerous reports and articles have decried the mediocrity of U.S. students' foreign language skills and have called for improved language education. One study that looked at foreign language education in 19 countries suggests several characteristics of successful foreign language programs: starting early, providing an articulated framework,…

This edited volume contains 15 chapters. Part one, "Language Teaching, Language Learning, and Literacy," has three chapters: "The Monolingual Teaching and Bilingual Learning of English" (Henry G. Widdowson); "Literacy: The Extension of Languages Through Other Means" (Ellen Bialystok); "Bilingual Processing…