FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY IN SCHOOLS SHOULD BE PREDICATED ON THE NEED OF SOCIETIES TO COEXIST WITH OTHER CONTEMPORARY NATIONAL CULTURES. IN A WORLD THAT CONSISTS OF A LARGE NUMBER OF HISTORICALLY DETERMINED, SEPARATE CULTURES, LANGUAGE ALONE CAN PRESENT THE LINGUISTICALLY CONDITIONED THOUGHT PATTERNS, THE "REALITY," OF A SPECIFIC CULTURE. LANGUAGE…

The beneficial aspects of introducing objectives for foreign language teaching based on functional or communicative principles are discussed. Functional objectives make the learner the center of interest and aid in the process of deciding what to include in a syllabus. Functional objectives offer more guidelines for the teacher in the classroom…

Defining course objectives and testing these objectives are inseparable components of the education process. The development of a model using eleven language functions as the basis for testing communication in a second language is described. (Text is in French.) (AMH)

This compilation is intended to provide a comprehensive collection of nonprescriptive learning outcome statements for second language instruction. Included are statements of what students can know and can do in the major content areas of second language learning, and in the areas in which second language relates to values education, basic…

This text describes a Swedish research program (GUME Project--the Swedish equivalent of the Gothenburg/Teaching/Methods/English Project) carried out during 1968-71 within the field of second-language instruction and learning. A number of comparative experiments were performed in order to assess the relative merits of two different approaches to…

The potential value and limitations of contrastive linguistic analysis (CLA) in pedagogical application are examined in this article. Attempts to quantify learning tasks in the modes of difference and difficulty are illustrated by the use of four diagrams: (1) a method of computing actual learning tasks, (2) two contrastive continuums, (3) a…

Negative influences on teaching practices and objectives in modern language programs, caused by certain final examination practices in Sweden, are pointed out and criticized in this paper. The needs of the Swedish student of languages are determined to be related to the use of language primarily as a means of everyday communication. The…

This audiolingual French course is designed for classes meeting for 100 minutes or more weekly. It provides for a transition from aural-oral skills to those of reading and transcription. A general introduction and an introduction to reading and transcription precede a section on the course of study. Linguistic structures, vocabulary, and…

Examines specific approaches to the acquisition and teaching of word, syntax, and text attack skills in foreign language (FL) classes. The role played by computers in second-language reading is considered, and a discussion of problems currently facing the teacher who wishes to allocate reading a more prominent place in the FL learning program is…

This publication is one of a series designed to inform and assist those responsible for foreign language instruction, including teachers, administrators, supervisors, and those engaged in teacher education. The complete series serves as a curriculum guide. The format of the series is such that it can be revised so as to keep materials current.…

The goals and approaches of Chinese curricula in large institutions vary from the preparation of students to do research in ancient government documents to the insistence on a mastery of spoken Mandarin adequate for functioning in a modern Chinese society. No institution does it all, but the limited program in a small college, free from the…

In this abridged talk concerning the preparation of behavioral objectives for foreign language learning, the author expounds on procedures considered necessary for curriculum development. The four-step model includes: (1) specification of objectives, (2) pre-assessment of previously acquired skills or knowledge, (3) determination of instructional…

The determination of Objectives conditions the choice of materials, methods, and evaluation of results in all stages of foreign language learning. The first level is a necessary foundation, but by itself is insufficient for the study of literature or for communication purposes in a new linguistic milieu. The fundamental notion of language styles…

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…

A guide is presented for the evaluation of the bilingual programs in the Austin, Texas, Independent School District. The reasons for an evaluation and a definition of program objectives and evaluation instruments are given. The program components, objectives and evaluation instruments for each grade level (K-4) are listed. The components involved…