Children's language abilities develop in a predetermined order, one stage necessarily preceding the next. The rate of this development remains relatively the same for physiologically normal human beings. Through research it is becoming possible to identify critical periods in linguistic development. Teachers could utilize and exploit these growth…

Five position papers resulting from a conference on the teaching of FLES discuss recent theory about elementary education and are intended to initiate a dialogue among teachers of foreign languages directed toward the exploration of ways and means of managing educational change. The report suggests how a broader rationale and a new curriculum base…