An intensive elementary-level language course for college students, seeking to provide meaningful application of language skills and to improve student attitudes toward second language learning, is described in this report. The three-term course in which students work extensively with undergraduate apprentice teachers while living in language…

This report summarizes a study published in 1967 by Harvard University which assessed foreign language proficiency of U.S. college seniors majoring in French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Russian. The measures used were the following: the MLA Foreign Language Proficiency Tests (Form A): Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing; the Modern…

Describes a survey of student interest in Spanish in the Houston, Texas, area and suggests a variety of practical courses to improve student motivation. (RL)

Relationships between Modern Language Aptitude (MLA) test scores and grades for French, German, and Spanish were determined. Analyses within courses 01, 05, 06, 07, and 11 were conducted. Successful and unsuccessful students and their MLA scores were identified in each course. Results indicated that placement was generally more successful in the…

A STUDY WAS MADE OF THE LEVELS OF PROFICIENCY ATTAINED BY FOREIGN LANGUAGE MAJORS IN U.S. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AND OF THE FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE ATTAINMENTS OF THESE LEVELS. THE MLA FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TESTS FOR TEACHERS AND ADVANCED STUDENTS WERE ADMINISTERED IN 1965 TO 2,775 SENIORS MAJORING IN FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN,…

An experimental, intensive German language course for graduate students at Washington State University is described. (RL)

In 1976, small special sections of English A (basic composition) were initiated within the English Department of the University of California at Davis to teach university-level writing skills to students in the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), seventy-five per cent of whom speak English as a second language. This paper describes the design…

This report presents the findings of a survey carried out in 1970 on nearly 200 degree students in England and Wales studying German as their main subject. The objectives of the survey were to: (1) determine the ranges of language proficiency attained by British graduates in German at various universities and other colleges; (2) interpret these…

This is a collection of papers which discusses characteristics of ESL (English as a Second Language) students in Kuwait. The first chapter, "Oral Communication," notes the extreme facility with which these students communicate in English. Chapter Two, "Names," explains how people in Kuwait are named and addressed. Chapter…

Describes an apparently very successful study program for Americans, conducted by Michigan State University in Mayen, Rheinland-Pfalz. The small (pop. 22,000) non-university city offered many advantages, including relatively low living costs. All students lived with German families. Various contacts are described, including weekend trips. (Text is…

This is a report on the use of computerized instruction in some of the elementary French classes at the University of Illinois (Urbana campus). This project was initiated in the fall of 1968. The experiments were carried out on the PLATO III system until January 1973 at which time the PLATO IV system became operational for student use. This…

ARTICULATION PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY A 3-YEAR STUDY OF STUDENTS WHO HAD BEGUN THEIR LANGUAGE STUDY IN AN ARIZONA HIGH SCHOOL AND CONTINUED THE STUDY OF THE SAME LANGUAGE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA. PROBLEMS INCLUDE AN ADMINISTRATION POLICY WHICH PERMITS MOST UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO REPEAT LANGUAGE STUDY AT THEIR OWN DISCRETION, POOR HIGH…

The results indicate that students enrolled in the first four courses of a foreign language have learned significantly different amounts of the same material, as measured by the CEEB Foreign Language Placement Tests. The relationships between the test scores and course grades indicated that test scores predict successful student performance almost…

The questions investigated in this study concern the adequacy of the current comprehensive English as a Second Language (ESL) programs, the need for a separate but complementary reading program, the relative merits of a classroom-based or an independent reading laboratory method, and the relationship between native language reading proficiency and…