The time has come to create a realistic grammar syllabus in the beginning language courses. Yet why do some in the profession insist that all grammar must be taught in the first year of language learning? Abundant data from decades of research on topics such as human memory, chunking, and second language acquisition exist that overwhelmingly…

This article reports on a collaborative research project which involved first-year distance learners of Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish at a New Zealand university. Drawing on the principles of Allwright's exploratory practice, the study aimed to gain an insight into the learners' experiences and conceptualisations in terms of their…

Illustrates the potential of simulation techniques for the teaching of German as a foreign language at the beginner's level. Reviews arguments for the use of simulations in language teaching, suggests a step-by-step procedure for using simulations, and presents a set of ready-to-apply simulation scripts on the topic of eating and drinking in a…

Describes methods used in teaching an introduction to French literature to help students connect literature with their own knowledge so that they see it as a link to interpreting their world and themselves. Suggests teaching literature heightens students' awareness of the power of language, which makes them better users not only of French but also…

Highlights the use of novice-level books produced from or for the Internet in the beginning level German as a foreign language classroom. Such books can be used for pleasure reading, for learning content, and for the development of vocabulary. Techniques for such use are provided. (Author/VWL)

Explores the opportunities offered by the Internet for technology-based instruction in the beginning language classroom. Discusses computer assisted language learning as it is relevant to the purpose and introduces the main aspects of a task-based approach. Presents sample exercises that are based on a combination of these two aspects of teaching…

Discusses how Krzysztof Kieslowski's film "Bleu" (1993), with its varied representation and thematization, offered a rewarding teaching experience that led somewhere unexpected and taught both the teacher and the students something about teaching. (Author/VWL)

Reconsiders the general question of the role of articulatory phonetics in the second language (L2) classroom and reviews the phonetic presentation in 10 recent first-year Spanish texts. Proposes a phonetics program based on the notion of a learners' dialect, then measures the phonetics of the textbooks against a learners' dialect. Argues against…

Focuses on a single type of faculty member, the language program director, giving an account of the responsibilities involved, credentials, and status in the tenure system. As cultural and textual content become more important in introductory courses, and as attention to language learning is emphasized throughout the upper levels of the…

Describes the development of the "Portes ouvertes" CD-ROM, which was produced as an integrated part of a first-year method for elementary French. Details the design and production of the CD-ROM with reference to video and textbook elements where such reference is indispensable to an understanding of pedagogical foundations. (Author/VWL)

Proposes the use of authentic texts as the basis for course work from the very beginning of foreign language study. Argues that by practicing cultural analysis, students are better prepared for advanced work than students who have been in a strictly language-oriented class. (Author/VWL)

Discusses alliances among programs that promote double majors and allow students from other disciplines to study abroad. Describes the development of a cultural studies approach to introductory language with weekly discussions in English that won first-year German a place in the general education curriculum. (Author/VWL)

One English-as-a-Second-Language teacher talks about her opportunity to experience language learning from the inside out: She enrolled in a beginning level Spanish course at a local community college. (Author/VWL)

Examines three current textbooks for German as a foreign language with regard to their coverage of Switzerland as a German-speaking nation. Concludes by suggesting that pluricentric German language textbooks for beginners are rare. (Author/VWL)

Describes a beginners' French Web site that aims to expose learners to the authentic French of native speakers and to the French produced by tutors and learners within the Web site itself. Provides information for incorporating Web-based instruction. (Author/VWL)