An experimental approach to French grammar instruction at the American School of Madrid, based on a restructuring of the grammar around the verb, provides a promising new perspective for language pedagogy. (MSE)

Reviews the history of the "pilot scheme" for introducing French into the curriculum of British primary schools, highlighting the project's limitations and the negative findings of the National Foundation for Educational Research report, and assesses the prospects for the future of the project. (AM)

Olympus, launched by Ariane in 1989, is the first European satellite to transmit an experimental educational and cultural program. The satellite is not only providing current programing but is testing the possibilities for distance education in the future. A schedule of humanities and science programing is presented. (MSE)

Discusses the need to be flexible and restructure foreign language departments and courses to meet student needs. Describes a four-year, second language program with a nonliterary emphasis, designed for nonforeign language majors as one way to do this. (EKN)

Reports on an experimental teaching approach, based on an innovative video series, used in an English-as-a-second-language (ESL) class for beginning learners. The tapes, which focused on students as they learned (with the viewers learning along with them), showed generally favorable results for ESL students. (Author/CB)

A Danish university's foreign language teacher education program's use of learning contracts is described. The student project has four major functions: solving a particular instructional problem, working in a group, finding a method that uses the individuals' skills to their best advantage, and organizing the work to be done. (MSE)

Describes an experimental French foreign language program in one Italian region's primary schools. Discussion focuses on specific strategies used for developing proficiency at that age level based on the characteristics of French and the nature of language. (MSE)

A discussion of the need to promote mutual comprehension among speakers of Romance languages describes one university program in France and looks at the possibility of extending multilanguage instruction to secondary education. The potential, and problems, of trying to teach students listening comprehension in several related languages are…

An experimental program to individualize intermediate French instruction through specific, personalized work emphasizes oral language in the classroom, and reading, listening, and writing in its individualized portion. (MSE)

Graduates (n=42) of an innovative bilingual program were surveyed concerning their language use, social behavior, occupational behavior and expectations, and postsecondary education. Participants rated their language skills favorably and had positive attitudes toward other language groups. Graduates also pursued many career paths because of their…

Assesses Nigeria's efforts to achieve mother-tongue literacy for its citizens. Describes Nigeria's complicated sociolinguistic landscape, national language policies, and the Ife experimental project, studying the use of the mother tongue in primary schools. Points to nonlinguistic factors in educational success, including parental background,…

A distinction should be made between movements, which spontaneously influence the course of language teaching, and projects designed to effect change or deal with specific issues or problems by research methods. A Canadian professional association has proposed a major national project on core French instruction. (MSE)