Discusses the development of a notional functional syllabus for university second language classes. (EKN)

Describes departmental core program in Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics at University of Maryland Baltimore County based on linguistic and semiotic theory stressing global perspective. Program includes upper level course to prepare students for literary analysis. (BK)

Integration of Francophone culture into the language curriculum rests on a suggested three-step approach, involving extensive student research. Goals are (1) recognition of the geography of French-speaking regions; (2) sensitivity to cultural components (e.g., music, art); and (3) familiarity with at least one significant political, historical,…

Responds to an article by F. Levy on the feminine attributes of the learning of French as a foreign language in the United States offering nonneutral comments on the feminine-masculine debate, the dominance of literature over language in the teaching of the French language in the United States, and the difficulty of deploying more practical…

The revision of an intermediate-level college French grammar course whose enrollment had been falling steadily is described. The three goals were (1) building on aural-oral competence gained earlier; (2) rigorous and systematic introduction to reading and writing skills; and (3) preservation of enthusiasm built in a newly revamped introductory…

A successful advanced college-level French conversation course using French theater as a basis for students to learn oral skills has six phases: an overview of the history of French theater, reading, adaptation of the text, rehearsal-readings, final rehearsals, and performance. (MSE)

Describes a one-semester French course taught by undergraduates and offered to elementary school students. The course stresses basic French vocabulary, a variety of interesting activities such as skits and songs, and parent participation through a "parents' night." (AM)

Presents the results of a study of student perspectives on the state of the art of undergraduate courses in French culture taught in American colleges and universities. Results from 28 questions are reviewed. The questions deal with the student's profiles, knowledge of facts, and their opinions about France and French. (28 references) (GLR)

Describes the second-year French program at the University of California, Berkeley, which attempts to bridge the gap between intermediate language courses and upper-division writing courses by incorporating such strategies as semantic mapping to promote higher-level thinking, help students to organize their writing, and foster the development of…

The history of public policy concerning Cajun French instruction in Louisiana is reviewed, and the prospects for regeneration of the language in the state's schools are examined. (MSE)

Describes a regional effort in Northern California to provide high quality French instruction for kindergarten through sixth grade in cooperation with the public schools. The role of the National French Contest as motivation and as a learning experience for the students is also discussed. (MSE)

A course designed to establish interpersonal communication as the context for learning French and focusing on rhythm of communication as the course's primary objective is described. (MSE)

Describes the components, course objectives, texts and materials, and structure and assignment of The American University's translation course, which hones students' foreign language competence through its focus on the short-term goal of attention to subtleties of meaning in the foreign language and nuance of expression in English. (CB)

An experimental program to individualize intermediate French instruction through specific, personalized work emphasizes oral language in the classroom, and reading, listening, and writing in its individualized portion. (MSE)

A university second language program using associative learning and context to enhance retention of words, expressions, and structures is described. Observed results of this situational approach are discussed. (MSE)