French is no longer considered the sole property of France's inhabitants; it is shared by 40 or so diverse peoples all over the world. If French language instruction is to be modern and effective, it must reflect this worldwide phenomenon and the cultural and linguistic diversity inherent in it. (Author/MSE)

A model of foreign language education is presented that takes into account the complexity of instruction itself and the dimensions added by interaction of teacher, learner, institution, materials, and environment. Uncertainty is seen as a by-product of complexity, and innovation and variation in instructional practice are ways of dealing with…

In an effort to untangle theories of French verb tense for second language classroom use, an instructional approach that moves the learner progressively through the tenses and their meanings is presented. The system focuses on the relationship of each tense to the present tense. (MSE)

Using examples from a conversation between birds, drawn from a story, the importance of nonverbal aspects of conversation is examined. Several kinds of nonverbal cues are discussed, including the common history of the interlocutors, their current relationship, turn taking, and the interplay of these factors. (MSE)

Discusses the communicative approach to foreign language instruction and provides information on communication exercises. (AG)

As illustrated in media articles, France is in a political, ideological, and cultural identity crisis. Events within and outside Europe and world migration patterns have worked together to create a confusion of national role, destiny, citizenry, and traditional institutions. (MSE)

A discussion of cultural stereotypes and civilization instruction focuses on means of sensitizing language students to their own and other cultures. Exercises are offered in seeing the Italians as seen by the French, the French as seen by Italians, and the French as they view themselves. (MSE)

A classroom second-language teaching technique that integrates drawing and language as self-expression is described, and specific classroom activities are outlined and illustrated. In this technique, students draw pictures that represent word meanings or tell stories, or complete or correct pictures presented to them. (six references) (MSE)

A discussion of textual, as contrasted with traditional, grammar for French second-language instruction argues that textual grammar is essential for acquisition of communicative competence because it identifies grammatical facts relevant to everyday communication and allows the student to experience the construction of meaning through them. (MSE)

Belgium's German-speaking community feels the need for multilingualism more than most. Since 1990, French language instruction has been seriously promoted in elementary school, as much for teachers as for students. A six-year curriculum plan takes students from early exposure to creative and autonomous language use. A pilot program is under way.…

Describes a method for teaching French that aims at developing students language skills using discipline-specific materials. The materials, designed by the Moroccan Bureau of Linguistic and Pedagogical Exchanges and the French Embassy in Morocco, are described, and examples of unit exercises are provided. (AG)

Four activities for the French language classroom are described. These include helping students discover comparative expressions by using advertisements; using horoscopes for teaching vocabulary; using a missing persons report as a source for intermediate to advanced level discussion, collective writing, and questions; and a video designed to…

The relationship between television and education in France is discussed, with reference to the arguments of several detractors and a recent report suggesting that there may be a number of ways in which the two "largest institutions in France" can benefit from each other. (MSE)

The International Society for the History of French as a Foreign or Second Language (SIHFLES) had a fruitful meeting in 1990, planning a substantial and diversified program of activities that illustrates the dynamism of the organization. One topic of considerable debate was the role of research in the association's mission. (MSE)

Textual grammar provides a means of examining the relationship between the sentence and the text as a whole, and it is in that context that the problems of learning a second language become clear and that it becomes important for the teacher to understand how the text functions so as to impart it to students. (MSE)