The way that students use mental representations when acquiring new knowledge can be exploited more systematically in the teaching of language for special purposes (LSP). A variety of modes of representation exist, including those in the external sensory world, that are received through the different senses and individual representational systems.…

A framework for using the material contained in French high school business correspondence manuals to teach business correspondence in French as a second language is presented. The intent is to introduce the function of various letter formats and to facilitate deciphering the content of the letters. Exercises promote situational analysis of…

Methodological, pedagogical, and psychological reasons for using professional case studies as a teaching technique in elementary business French are discussed, and specific strategies for teaching specific language functions (referential, phatic, metalinguistic, and expressive) are described. (MSE)

Presents overview of content and structure of a commercial French course at the undergraduate level including practice buying and selling, making reservations, simple banking procedures, credit, job hunting, and advertising. Purpose of course is to acquaint students with everyday business world of France. (BK)

Outlines the development of a French second language program based on the communicative needs and professional objectives of individuals conducting diplomatic affairs in France. Two examples of discourse analysis are given: one of a number of telephone conversations recorded in an embassy and the other of a collection of notes. (MSE)

A discussion of the teaching of scientific discourse to non-native speakers focuses on two areas: (1) characteristics commonly attributed to scientific language and their implications; and (2) the difficulties experienced at the language-teaching level in teaching theoretical discourse. It is commonly assumed that scientific discourse is…

A review of business German textbooks reveals that few give significant attention to accounting terminology. Both German majors and business majors enrolled in business German need to be introduced to the balance sheet and income statement. It is possible to devote one or two class sessions to accounting by limiting content to a minimal but solid…

Courses in business Italian have an important place in the traditional foreign language curriculum because they expose students to broader cultural areas in which they can exercise their foreign language skills. Guidelines for course development and some classroom activities are described. (CB)

In response to the enormous changes taking place in the former Soviet Union, a growing number of Russian programs in American universities are developing business Russian courses. This article suggests simulation exercises and situational role plays as a foundation for integrating business-related materials into general language courses. (12…

Ideas for French instruction are offered, including a grammar exercise on pronouns; exploration of a comic strip's language and culture; use of a taped program on fashion; and an activity to help French language teachers cope with unfamiliar discipline-specific texts, whose topics (but not language) are familiar to their students. (MSE)

One approach to teaching business French is to familiarize students with true business situations and to help students realize that business interacts with a body of laws and within a political and socioeconomic environment. On the first day of class, students are divided into groups of two or three, and each group becomes an enterprise with a…

A presentation on maximizing the use of video in the business language classroom looks at why video pedagogy can be effective and outlines a variety of classroom viewing strategies aimed at different learner levels and instructional objectives. These strategies involve using the visual only or focusing on certain aspects of the sound track, and…

A method for making an intermediate language course at the postsecondary level responsive to the different professional needs of students is discussed. The first segment of the course focuses on the use of the language for communication, and the second teaches, through easily obtained instructional materials, the construction of specialized…

The technique used by one teacher to incorporate cultural sensitivity into the business French course is described. Cultural orientation begins in the first class meeting with a discussion of shapes and symbols. Discussion proceeds to the hexagon, a geographic, cultural, and linguistic symbol for France. A discussion of French geography and a…

Two types of feedback are examined, and their use in controlling the processes of instructional development and improvement are discussed. Closed-loop feedback, the most direct, uses immediate feedback about a process or product to make immediate adjustments in it. Open-loop feedback, in which input cannot be changed immediately, uses feedback to…