In this paper, I will report on the progress made in designing a curriculum for intensive language training, in which one-on-one instruction is combined with online exercises and drills to achieve an optimal blend of expertise and technology enhanced language learning. The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) has become a crucial tool for…

A number of reports in the US have highlighted the country's need for improved second language skills for both national security and economic competitiveness. The Language Flagship program, launched in 2002, aims to raise expectations regarding language proficiency levels at the post-secondary level and to address structural gaps in the curricula…

A consensus has emerged on many issues in communicative language teaching, but one question that needs attention is the question of what ought to constitute the appropriate starting point in the design and implementation of a second language program. Two positions to consider are the following: first, the development of communicative methodology,…

Describes the development and implementation of a TVEI French course in Wirral (England) for 16- to 18-year-olds. The course emphasizes practical use of language in everyday life and employment, linguistic awareness, and successful communication rather than linguistic perfection. (CB)

"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 review of research on foreign language proficiency, constraints of language learning, and constraints of the learner suggests that current oral language proficiency standards and tests are more helpful in evaluating the effectiveness of a foreign language program than in evaluating the achievement of individual students. (CB)

Locally developed language and culture programs are those that are developed and authorized by local school jurisdictions. This document presents a curricular framework from which program developers can build a language curriculum that meets the needs and reflects the philosophy of the linguistic community they serve. It also stresses the value of…

This paper is about a teaching program that was developed at a school in Alice Springs, a small town in Australia that has influenced teaching programs for Aboriginal children in that country. At Traeger Park school, the Aboriginal children speak English, although the speech of many children is characterized as Aboriginal English dialect. The…

A proposal for introducing basic communication courses into China's foreign language curriculum argues that it is a change needed to meet the new objectives of foreign language teaching in that country. Four suggestions for a smooth transition include: (1) basing the communication courses on what already exists in the curriculum; (2) using a large…

Describes a thematic, communication-oriented approach developed by the foreign language department at the University of Maryland Baltimore County to the first-year and intermediate sequences in French, German, and Spanish. Design of the syllabus, instructional materials, and teaching techniques are discussed. (Author/CB)

The development of a second-year college French language course based on principles of communicative competence and the notional-functional approach is described. Although spoken language is the primary focus of the course, it is also designed to cover a broader range of writing skills than the traditional college language course. (MSE)

Describes a curriculum development research project that took place in the French section of the Department of Modern Languages of the University of Salford in the United Kingdom over a 10-year period. The curriculum is motivated by three interacting theoretical perspectives on how languages are learned at an advanced level.(Author/VWL)

An experimental first-year college German course offered at the University of Texas at Austin emphasized communication, with a complementary de-emphasis on morphologically correct forms in spoken or written production. A modification of the Total Physical Response method was used to orient the students, and at four weeks the emphasis was shifted…

The components of British Columbia's new curriculum for secondary level Asian language programs, which are designed around communicative acts rather than grammar, are described and the implications for material development, evaluation, methodology, and teacher education are discussed. (MSE)

In order to bring about some continuity and coherence among the various English for Special Purposes (ESP) courses at the Universidad Simon Bolivar, a systematization project was undertaken. The purpose was to provide general guidelines for the production and future revision of materials while taking into account the specific characteristics of…