In a study of learners' levels of comfort with language activity types allowing differing degrees of interaction, 110 first-year college students of French, Spanish, and Italian were surveyed at a university and community college. Results suggest the value of activities facilitative of negotiated interaction. The questionnaire is appended. (10…

Suggests an innovative technique for the graduate curriculum in literature and language that can help new faculty members develop not only culture courses but also competency in interdisciplinary scholarship, discussing course organization, varieties of interdisciplinary study, and the professional development seminar. (20 references) (CB)

Describes a university's use of a multilingual cable network as a foreign language instructional resource by incorporating series, news programs, and commercials into foreign language courses. (CB)

Discusses challenges to policymakers stemming from the recent change to the use of Arabic as a medium of instruction at colleges and universities in Arabic-speaking countries, including implementation plans and attitude surveys about Arabicization. It is argued that there is a need for a long-term plan for gradual implementation of the…

Four short-term British Council Key English Language Teaching (KELT) tertiary education projects in South India were evaluated. The resulting evaluation model incorporated four outcome criteria for success and four input indicators. Recommendations for future policy are offered. (three references) (Author/LB)

Describes a translation and interpretation program at the University of California, Long Beach. The program affords students in both English and Spanish an opportunity to develop and perfect their linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to pursue a career in the field of translation and interpretation. The program covers technical vocabulary,…

This article presents an analysis of the results of a survey conducted with foreign language program directors and coordinators in American university foreign language departments. The goal of the survey was twofold. First, it aimed to compile a profile of these individuals: their backgrounds, research, and teaching and coordinating…

Universities and colleges in Canada and other English-speaking countries have become increasingly concerned with linguistic and cultural diversity and internationalizing their campuses, both to enhance local and international students' experiences on campus and to prepare them to function in their careers and the larger society. Most international…

Study in language, literature, and culture has long been a defining feature of education in the liberal arts. Speaking, reading, and writing have traditionally stood at the heart of education because the arts of language and the tools of literacy are key qualifications for full participation in social, political, economic, and cultural life. Today…

Ensuring that students spend time preparing for class has always been one of the challenges of teaching. Indeed, when students are given an assignment that they are required to do before coming to the next lecture--whether it be written exercises or just studying--one wonders how often they are actually doing it. There are many ways in which…

Results of the 10th national survey (1982-83) of bachelor's degree granting institutions in the United States concerning their foreign language entrance and degree requirements encompass the responses of 1,261 institutions. Each institution is classified in one of six categories, according to its status in relation to the 9th survey, carried out…

This paper describes the experience of setting up a computer assisted learning (CAL) program, the implementation of the program, and the way it is currently being integrated into the curriculum. The CAL program was developed by a team that included a subject specialist, specialists in computer applications and instructional design, a computer…

A review of stages in the evolution of the language laboratory shows that its function has changed in the past 20 years. Originally it was described as a way of providing a means for abundant practice of audiolingual drills. Currently, it is described as a learning center with multiple resources and functions. It might be characterized as a…

The use of extracts from works of prose literature for teaching English as a foreign language at intermediate and advanced levels is considered. Attention is directed to the effectiveness of using such extracts as a means of improving the English of foreign learners, and to criteria for the choice and presentation of the extracts. The last six…

Foreign language departments at U.S. colleges have traditionally tended to limit their language for business offerings to one course per language. Attempts to expand the business foreign language curriculum may meet with resistance from traditional foreign language departments over the issue of academic priorities. Careful prior planning, specific…