Students entering English-medium universities around the world come from diverse linguistic backgrounds and many find it difficult to cope with the language demands of their degree courses. This speech focuses first on the motivations for introducing what are known in Australia as post-entry language assessments (PELAs). I discuss in particular…

Because idioms are omnipresent in the authentic language students are exposed to, to successfully comprehend and produce natural language, learners of a second or foreign language need to possess a good knowledge of idioms and competence in idiom use. This paper examines the approaches to teaching and learning idioms. A discussion of the…

Discusses some common misconceptions about foreign language learning and the foreign language teaching profession. Lists some basic needs for the profession if language education is to continue to be developed and promoted. (EKN)

Researchers have suggested a language factor as an obstacle in the mathematics learning process for students who do not have a command of English. A review of the literature is presented, focusing on the nature of the interaction between language and mathematics learning. Implications for the design of instructional activities are presented, with…

A discussion of the role of second language proficiency assessment in the evaluation of language programs argues that for four reasons, the use of proficiency is inappropriate as a central element in evaluation. The reasons are: (1) the construct of proficiency has not been operationalized in a way that enables it to be used usefully; (2)…

This article describes the organization, functions, and components of the Defense Language Institute. The test division is responsible for aptitude, achievement, and proficiency tests and for test development in a variety of resident and non-resident programs. The progress that has been made over a 10-year period is also described and special…

A guide for teachers developing a high school Latin curriculum provides a rationale, structure, and method for course planning at four difficulty levels. The approach is based on seven subject matter goals and specific instructional objectives for each, which are appended. The goals are: to help students (1) understand simple Latin syntax; (2)…

The study has two main components: a descriptive study of the secondary French program (SFSL) in a large school district in the Vancouver, British Columbia metropolitan area, and a followup study of grade nine students who had been surveyed initially when they were in grade six of the elementary French program (EFSL). The followup study examined…

A discussion of the implementation of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) second language proficiency guidelines in Florida's public schools and colleges includes a brief review of literature about the guidelines, background information on the oral proficiency movement, and a description of the effects of the movement…

A study compared the narrative structures in stories told by monolingual Swedish-speaking children (n=19) and Finnish-speaking immersion students of Swedish (n=19), all in fifth grade. The immersion students had been taught in immersion since kindergarten. Subjects each told a story based on a wordless picture book, which was then analyzed for a…

The development of a program and curriculum for instruction in technical English for Saudi Arabian petrochemical plant operator trainees studying in the United States for two years was undertaken by the University of South Alabama's English Language Center. The program was designed to accommodate (1) the degree of skills and prior learning of the…

The National Association of Self-Instructional Language Programs (NASILP) offers a program option for institutions that lack the resources to develop a regular second language program but want to offer instruction in a broad range of languages for international businesses. The cost-effective, media-intensive approach consists of a controlled…

The Austin (Texas) Independent School District (AISD) has long received federal grant funds under Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to supplement its regular bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs. In 1990-91, AISD was awarded a 3-year grant to serve a population of limited-English-proficient (LEP) high…

The role of different types of testing instruments in second language programs is discussed. Knowledge-based tests, including discrete-point and integrative tests are contrasted with direct tests, including the Foreign Service Institute Scale and the Australian Second Language Proficiency Ratings (ASLPR). The ASLPR is described in detail in terms…

One of ten studies commissioned to investigate research needs and to stimulate planning activities, this paper identifies and summarizes key issues within the area of second language teaching. The discussion is developed in three main sections: (1) a summary of research efforts from 1960-1980; (2) identification of research gaps; and (3) statement…