Three New York City public school projects funded by the New York State Education Department's Bureau of Bilingual Education had the common goal of improving the quality of instruction in schools that the state's Comprehensive Assessment Report (CAR) had designated as needing special assistance for raising low student performance levels. The…

This collection of stories about adult second language learning includes five teachers' anecdotal accounts of experiences using the participatory process. In these accounts, the teachers describe a variety of tools and processes used in the classroom to draw out issues that can be transformed into thought-provoking discussions and language…

The Iowa guide to foreign language curriculum development, the result of a 1985 state mandate, is designed to help local teachers and administrators build on and improve current curriculum and instructional methods. An opening section outlines the rationale, philosophy, and goals of the guide, and subsequent sections focus on curriculum design and…

The development of a program and curriculum for instruction in technical English for Saudi Arabian petrochemical plant operator trainees studying in the United States for two years was undertaken by the University of South Alabama's English Language Center. The program was designed to accommodate (1) the degree of skills and prior learning of the…

The University of Toledo's Spanish and Legal Assisting program provides two degree tracks, a twenty-five course program in the Community and Technical College and a coordinated bachelor's program in the College of Arts and Sciences. The shorter legal assisting program provides training allowing individuals to work under an attorney's supervision,…

A second language program developed at Wilson College (Chambersburg, Pennsylvania) with a federal grant uses the Rassias Method of theatrical, dramatic language saturation. In the first application of the program at the college, peer tutors (who would be assistant teachers in the subsequent immersion program) were trained in a three-day workshop.…

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…

A NEED FOR A STATEMENT OF SIMPLIFIED CRITERIA BY WHICH SECONDARY SCHOOLS MAY MEASURE THE EXCELLENCE OF THEIR FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAMS HAS STIMULATED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE GUIDELINES, DESIGNED TO ASSIST IN SETTING UP THE BEST POSSIBLE AUDIOLINGUALLY-ORIENTED CURRICULUM TO MEET THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF SCHOOLS. FOLLOWING AN OUTLINE OF BASIC…

Considers implications of widespread and growing multilingualism (including English as second language) among students in Great Britain and the rest of the world. Schools can build on the strengths of those students' linguistic diversity and should offer a range of language experiences and languages for all students. (CB)

Simon Fraser University's program of English language support for Indonesian graduate students is described. The program's special features include team teaching, extended planning time, and focus on students' specialized academic needs. Recommendations for other similar programs are given. (Author/MSE)

Reports on the views of 73 secondary school Japanese students toward the United Nations. Finds that most tend to think of the UN as relevant to conflicts. Describes how the hunger issue was used in an English-as-a-Second-Language class to teach about the United Nations. (CFR)

The guide is one section of a resource kit designed to assist Peace Corps language instruction coordinators in countries around the world in understanding the principles underlying second language learning and teaching and in organizing instructional programs. This section addresses design and development of language curricula. An introductory…

This digest discusses the issues involved in implementing middle school foreign language programs. A number of implementation and instructional issues are highlighted, including: scheduling, staffing, teacher recruitment, teacher certification, staff development, curriculum development, teaching methods, and instructional materials. (VWL)

Interest in elementary school foreign language programs has resurfaced in recent years, and the number of programs is increasing. Many states are requiring foreign language study at the elementary level. For a local school or community seeking to implement elementary school language programs, it is important that a rationale be developed to meet…

The implementation of New York City secondary-level transitional classes in English as a second language (ESL) is evaluated. The classes are designed to improve the listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in English necessary for success in mainstream classes. This evaluation, based on data gathered via site visits, interviews, and an…