Although schools and districts are increasingly required to provide various supports and instructional programs for English Language Learners (ELLs), standardized measures of these students' academic achievement continue to be low. This article summarizes key findings of two major reviews of the research on educating ELLs that were completed in…

This article examines available literature on college English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. The literature available on college ESL programs falls into three categories: (1) research reports and articles, (2) recent theoretical discussions on ESL teaching, and (3) thought pieces discussing college ESL curriculum development and assessment…

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) contracted with Synergy Enterprises, Inc. and edCount, LLC, to complete a study titled Language Instruction Educational Programs (LIEPs): Lessons From the Research and Profiles of Promising Programs. This study includes a review of the foundational literature related to LIEPs, case studies…

The following articles on second language learning are collected here: (1) "Second-Language Study: Historical Background and Current Status" by Kenneth D. Chastain; (2) "The Value of Second-Language Learning" by Gilbert A. Jarvis; (3) "Psychology and Linguistics as Bases for Language Pedagogy" by Wilga M. Rivers; (4) "Differentiation of Language…

Explores the concept and goals of a "full-service" college foreign language department, which would offer a wide variety of courses and programs, reach out to a broad segment of the academic community, and attempt to develop collaborative, mutually beneficial programs with other departments. (CB)

Two articles address issues in the development of French and Spanish language programs in elementary schools: instructional materials and time and money factors. The information presented is drawn from experience in developing the Radford, Virginia FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary School) program. The first article describes some aspects…

Reviews the present situation of foreign languages in the U.S. and discusses the prospects for their future. Sees reasons for believing that the near future may bring a resurgence of interest in at least some modern languages and advocates intimate knowledge of a foreign language and culture for its humanistic value. (MES)

Represents a comparative analysis of the instructional policies for heritage language programs in Ontario and Quebec. It is concluded that the differences in the programs reflect a distinct difference between the two provinces with relation to interethnic relations. (VWL)

Reports on and presents results of 1980 MLA enrollment survey of foreign language registration in U.S. institutions of higher education. Results show only slight drop from fall 1977 report. Six leading languages are Spanish, French, German, Italian, Latin, and Russian. Survey shows considerable growth in less commonly taught languages. (Author/BK)

Reports on comprehensive study undertaken by the MLA to review foreign language programs in two-year colleges and formulate objectives and recommendations. Three stages of project were informal survey, one-day workshops to discuss ways in which language teaching profession could strengthen two-year college enterprise, and meeting of leaders in…

Argues for the inclusion of courses in phonetics and phonology in college Italian programs, claiming that the myth of Italian as a phonetic language blurs the clear need for such training and that students actually require advanced coursework in phonetics and phonology to improve their articulation and pronunciation. (43 references) (Author/CB)

A discussion of Krashen's monitor theory and its applications to foreign language teaching includes consideration of the very important role input plays in language development and examination of the relationship between the development of grammatical competence and traditional instruction in grammar. (CB)

Surveys of language program directors and recommendations and trends noted by several large universities indicate that a professional model of language program direction is emerging, in which the language program director (the supervisor for graduate teaching assistants) is seen as a viable faculty member contributing to a legitimate scholarly…

A brief review of the effectiveness of the writing mode chosen for the writing component of second language instruction precedes a description of one university's program for incorporating the teaching of writing in French to improve writing skills, language mastery, critical thinking, and higher-level cognitive thinking. (18 references) (CB)

This paper gives an overview of issues related to language assessment of prospective bilingual education teachers who are enrolled in postsecondary institutions. The review indicates that, generally, little has been done on the establishment of entry/exit level criteria for language assessment. Where criteria exist, they are viewed in terms of the…