This study has been prompted by a concern that the term intercultural understanding (IU) has appeared in English curriculum policy texts in order to address macro issues with scant pedagogical attention to its effective implementation at the micro level in the modern foreign languages (MFL) classroom. The article investigates pupils' perceptions…

The desirability of learning the foreign civilization in conjunction with learning a foreign language is discussed, and an approach to civilization study to be incorporated in foreign language study is set out. (RM)

This article begins with an overview of the literature that establishes the value of sayings in foreign language teaching. It is argued that authors of textbooks should use sayings because they make up such an important part of a language. The most common sayings that should be found in any textbook are listed. (LET)

Describes pilot classes in culture-oriented French and Spanish instruction conducted over a two-year period. (KM)

Recommendations are made for a curriculum in first year language introductory courses in New South Wales high schools which would place greater emphasis on cultural understanding than on language itself. A sample course outline is given and suggestions for group and individual activity given. (RM)

Argues that literature should have a place in the foreign language classroom even at the beginning level. It aids in clarifying vocabulary, grammatical structures and certain cultural idiosyncracies. (Text is in German.) (TL)

Outlines a four-year program of German study aiming to give students a basic ability in spoken and written German, knowledge of German culture, and preparation for advanced German study. Study topics and textbooks are included. (CHK)

The A-level French syllabus is criticized for its emphasis on translation and its failure to teach the language as a contemporary medium of communication. A curriculum guide is presented based on the layout, development and history of Paris and French society. (CHK)

Literature-dominated foreign language courses, and their failure to develop cross-cultural understanding, are discussed. Changes in language syllabuses to include other aspects of the foreign culture are suggested. (RM)

A recent examination of the secondary education in New South Wales has led to the conclusion that foreign language study would best meet the needs of the community as one of the social sciences in the core curriculum. Bases for this conclusion are discussed. (RM)

Stresses that learning to understand and speak a foreign language is the acquisition of a skill, not of a system of abstract knowledge. Primary objective is understanding through a receptive, semantic approach, which incorporates rising expectancy level, discrepency feedback levels, and confidence in later speech production. Suggests incorporating…

Views Nigeria as a valid, representative "African laboratory" for the development of English as a second language. Nigeria has vigorously embarked on national development and modernization programs centered on English and, therefore, is capable of contributing greatly to a valid theory of English as a second language as a branch of…

Describes strategy for teaching culture and conversation at the third- and fourth-year undergraduate level using authentic documents as the primary materials. The medium chosen for this course was the French chanson, but similar strategies may be applicable to any modern language using the culturally appropriate materials. (eight references) (LET)

Recent proposals concerning integration of foreign language study with social science study in New South Wales are described, and the background of debate in linguistics against which these proposals may be viewed is outlined. (RM)

FOR AMERICA TO ACHIEVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEMS OF MODERN SOCIETY, IN A WORLD WHERE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DEPRIVATION ARE THE NORM, THE SPANISH LANGUAGE MUST BE RECOGNIZED AS THE MOST IMPORTANT, AND POTENTIALLY THE MOST REWARDING, PART OF THE MODERN LANGUAGE CURRICULUM. LANGUAGE PREFERENCES IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE GENERALLY FOLLOWED THE…