In the high-stakes accountability English educational system, decisions made by government and agencies about curriculum, pedagogy and assessment drive school planning and actions. This paper analyses the drivers for the recent change to French German and Spanish GCSEs and highlights particular areas of the new specification which may damage the…

The conceptualization of language assessment literacy (LAL) is currently a subject of debate in the language testing community, especially with regard to the role language components play in this construct. This is part of a broader discussion of generic and discipline-specific assessment literacy. Previous research on language teachers' LAL aimed…

This paper concerns issues related to testing English for Science and Technology in Germany. One problem is that both teachers and students are trained primarily in literary English and so have little knowledge of the content and the conventions of scientific writing. Another problem is the difficulties that arise when needs, aims, and methods…

The goals and cultural content of two advanced business French courses, developed at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris (CCIP), are examined and the wider cultural implications of the courses are discussed. As background information, the role of the CCIP in French education and the…

The curriculum guide for Latin outlines the general and specific objectives and content of the courses to be offered in the Jefferson County (Colorado) public junior and senior high schools. An introductory section describes the district's comprehensive and second language education goals and philosophy, summarizes the findings of the President's…

This guide provides general direction to school districts on elementary French programs. In addition to giving the rationale of an elementary French program and indicating where supplementary resource material can be found, it suggests program goals and learning outcomes for programs in grades K-7. A second section on current research on second…

This investigation of high school and college language programs in the 1940's presents information on the objectives of language teaching and the measurement of language proficiency. An aural-oral testing program is described, and the aural-oral experimental groups are compared with conventionally taught classes. Advanced levels of language skill…

The collaborative curriculum development process in a postsecondary language education program in Japan is described, looking specifically at the work of five curriculum development teams, or focus groups: needs assessment; curriculum aims, goals, and objectives; cognitive development and learner strategies; materials development; and learner…

Alberta's curriculum guide for a two-year German program to begin in grade 7 or 8 outlines the program's philosophy and rationale, goals and objectives, minimum expectations for communication skill development and cultural understanding, required and elective content and themes, recommended instructional materials, suggested time allotments,…

This guide consists of a set of goals and learning outcomes for the entire secondary German program, with emphasis on practical application of present-day spoken and written German. The goals and outcomes are divided so as to provide a suitable structure for course development and materials selection at the local level. The importance of…

Guidelines intended to aid in the improvement of foreign language instruction are directed toward the development of a relevant and contemporary language program. Six major chapters discuss: (1) the place of foreign languages in the modern curriculum, (2) the program in operation, (3) treatment of skills and cultural concepts of contemporary…

This manual outlines a beginning course in Spanish based on audio-visual-lingual methodology. Each lesson plan states the objectives, the activities to be performed, the materials to be used, and the method to use in evaluating the student's mastery of the lesson. Some examples of lesson topics are: greeting each other using Spanish names;…

The curriculum guide for German outlines the general and specific objectives and content of the courses to be offered in the Jefferson County (Colorado) public junior and senior high schools. An introductory section describes the district's comprehensive and second language education goals and philosophy, summarizes findings of the President's…

This series is designed to provide educators in a number of fields with information based on international experience. The intention is to suggest ways of improving the effectiveness of administrators and the performance of teachers and pupils. This guide was the result of a meeting of educators from organizations supported by UNESCO to teach…

The handling of this survey was intrusted to Dr. Leonard V. Koos, of the University of Chicago. With great skill he has, working on a full-time basis during his free quarters from the University of Chicago and part time during other quarters, brought it to a conclusion. This manuscript was prepared by Helen M. Eddy, associate professor of romance…