The culture of the United States has been based on assimilation, in which new immigrants tend to put aside their past, including their linguistic past, and merge with the rest of society. As the United States economy becomes more intertwined with that of the rest of the world, these patterns are changing, and there is now a greater recognition of…

"Commanding English," a three-quarter program of communication skills courses presented in an integrated whole, is described in this booklet. The program's general purpose is to assist students whose native language is not English to develop fluency in oral and written English. A brief description of each course offered at General College,…

A formative evaluation wae made of immersion weekends sponsored by the French center to determine how improvements in the role of monitors can enhance the oral production of students. Two weekends were observed and some in-service training with evaluator and monitors was held between the weekends. Three instruments were used to categorize and…

The purpose of this report was to determine the changes that occurred from 1972 to 1976 in the field of Japanese study in the United States. The investigators compiled information from already published material and obtained data from questionnaires that were sent to all colleges and universities known to employ at least one specialist on Japan in…

The University of Toledo developed a course, primarily for its undergraduate business administration students, to hone their awareness of how business practices and approaches are shaped by culture. The course also aims to give students the opportunity to function effectively in the increasingly international environment of business. An outline…

Trends affecting the shape and scope of foreign language major programs involve: (1) accountability and explicitness of instructional goals; (2) the dichotomy between the pragmatic, market-oriented perception of language and the profession's view of the humanistic value of language study; and (3) a sense of realism in the climate of foreign…

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)

Outlines ways for postsecondary institutions to adapt entry requirements and develop new courses to meet the needs of two target groups with different language learning needs: functionally bilingual secondary immersion graduates and graduates of secondary foreign language programs who show interest in increasing proficiency in French. (MSE)

The administrative and pedagogical difficulties of implementing a communicative approach in a university French program are outlined, including student language needs and expectations, program organization and content, and implementing appropriate situations and practices. The question of whether a student can attain bilingualism at this level…

Enrollment in a foreign language course increasingly is becoming an essential part of college students' programs of study. As a result, there has been an influx of students with diverse backgrounds, interests, and aspirations enrolling in foreign language courses in order to fulfill degree requirements. Unfortunately, many students underachieve in…

The use of three new handbooks to study Russian classics in advanced college Russian classes is described. The handbooks are an effort to help students with vocabulary, cultural information, and idioms found in the original texts. (MSE)

Describes an advanced, nonliterary Spanish course which can be adapted to high school classes. (EKN)

Techniques and lesson types used in foreign language courseware on the PLATO IV system at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign are outlined. The emphasis is on developing reading, writing, and listening skills to the extent possible on a computer, and on using existing courseware to develop new techniques and materials. (Author/MSE)

Issues in the foreign language placement of college students are discussed: the necessity of a placement test for all incoming students, selection of such a test from the available options, decline of student performance in the last 20 years, and articulation courses from high school to college. (MSE)

Optional interdisciplinary courses taught by foreign language teachers to college sophomores are described. The courses are English Word Power, Classical Mythology, Afro-French Literature in Translation, and two courses in law in literature. The emphasis was on integrating a humanities concept with a foreign language-foreign culture orientation.…