This article argues for the need to center Latine students' experiences and language practices in Spanish programs at Hispanic Serving Institutions. We describe the work and possibilities of designing programs informed by Latine Studies perspectives as well by culturally and linguistically sustaining approaches to teaching Heritage Language…

Foreign language houses, on-campus residences in which students pledge to speak in their target language, offer valuable opportunities for language and culture learning. Scores of such programs exist at universities across North America (Dewey, Baker, Bown, & Martinsen, 2011), yet little is written about them in the research literature. This…

Assessment is a critical part of teaching and learning so it is important that students are encouraged to engage positively with it. The Institution-Wide Language Programme (IWLP) at the University of Leeds redesigned its model of assessment for modules at upper-intermediate and advanced levels, broadly equivalent to the Common European Framework…

This article explores the theoretical foundation of the NCSSFL-ACTFL Can-Do Statements, developed by the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL) and the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), describes why and how to use these progress indicators in language education and reveals the value and impact on…

Any curriculum consists of several components: goals, disposition, duration, needs analysis, learners and teachers, exercises and activities, resources, ways of learning, skills to be acquired, lexis, language structure, and ability assessment. Before setting up a program or course of study, these components should be determined and described in…

A committee was formed to examine the need for and the possible approach to foreign language instruction for International Business and International Relations students at St. Mary's University (San Antonio). Research literature of most interest to the committee described specific courses and programs in higher education, different formats ranging…

La Escuelita, a Warwick (Rhode Island) Spanish language instruction program for children in grades 3 through 6, originated in 1983 in a group-tutoring program and expanded under the auspices of the local Parent-Teacher Association into an after-school activity for all city schoolchildren. The PTA undertook the administrative tasks, and the…

In response to requests from students for information about the role of women in target-language cultures, a curriculum was developed by the Minneapolis public schools for women's studies in the high school foreign language classroom. The focus was on women in French, German, and Spanish-speaking countries. The role of women in these cultures has…

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)

An Italian program integrating second language instruction into the elementary school curriculum is described. The program is seen as a forward-looking effort but lacking in important cultural content. Discrepancies between objectives and classroom reality are discussed. (MSE)

Examines the needs and concerns of college faculty members regarding the departmental ambience in undergraduate teaching and the difficulty of integrating research and teaching. The article advocates interdepartmental cooperation and resource sharing to foster positive change in faculty members' fields and to resolve the problems of faculty and…

The Australian Language Levels (ALL) curriculum is being developed as a learner-centered, activities-based approach to second language instruction at all levels. It is activities-based in that learners use the target language in specific activities for specific purposes. Each activity integrates content with process or method, and activities are…

A rationale is presented for improving the curricular design of intermediate- or advanced-level writing classes for foreign language majors. Seven practical guidelines include the following: the writing course should have its own place in the curriculum but should not stand alone as the sole undergraduate writing experience in the second language.…

A University of Dublin (Ireland) curriculum restructuring project in the undergraduate second language program is chronicled, and ongoing curriculum development efforts are described. As a result of curriculum research, the university offered a series of freshman French and German courses in 1994-95 and a series of second-year courses to students…

A discussion of the current direction of second language instruction looks at the decline in college language enrollments, possible reasons for the decline, and efforts to adapt course offerings and curriculum format to current educational goals. Three factors in re-directing second language teaching are highlighted: establishment of standards for…