Brazil's meteoric rise as Latin America's economic superpower has prompted the United States government to reassess its strategic vision of South America and its relationship with Brazil. The next generation of US economic, business, political, and military leaders will likely be faced with a South American landscape heavily dominated by Brazil.…

Describes a B.A. degree program in English at the Federal Univesity of Santa Catarina in Brazil. Discusses specific problems relating to the students, the materials, course objectives, timetable, and staffing. Identifies some continuing sources of difficulty and recent developments in the design of the program. (SED)

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,…