International comparative curriculum research is becoming more important in a globalised world. However, up-to-date comparative studies of international foreign language education policies are still rare. This study compares current modern foreign language curricula in England with that in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia in Germany at Key…

This paper applies Oakeshott's distinction between work and play to his philosophy of language education. The first part explores his critique of the vocational rationale for learning foreign languages and his affirmation of the intrinsic value or playful character of the activity. The second part of the article endeavours to give practical…

One of the institutional challenges of taking in large numbers of international graduate students is supporting their academic literacy skills. To accommodate a large population of international students, Japanese universities offer various services to support their academic studies and life-related issues, such as hiring international student…

This study explores how principals of dual language (DL) programs draw on two dominant societal discourses around language education--linguistic instrumentalism/neoliberalism and equity/social justice--to make sense of their programs. Through in-depth interviews with 19 principals of Spanish-English elementary school DL programs in Arizona and…

This article explores the implications of Hegel's theories of language on second language (L2) teaching. Three among the various concepts in Hegel's theories of language are selected. They are the crucial role of intersubjectivity; the primacy of the spoken over the written form; and the importance of the training of form or grammar. Applying…

This article iterates the results of integrating literacy into SLA (Second Language Acquisition) from a constructivist's perspective in preparing syllabi, pedagogical activities and testing. The observation of Mandarin-learning students' performance and conversations with them suggest that introducing certain vocabulary, expressions and…

Teaching poetry in second language (L2) classrooms raises theoretical and practical questions about how best to treat literature when target language and culture is also being negotiated. Current pedagogy derives from disparate sources, including the experientially-driven practices of individual teachers, the quantitative and qualitative research…

The challenge posed to foreign language (FL) education by globalization and by the multilingual multicultural speech communities it has spawned is showcased by the current crisis in the teaching of German at American colleges and universities. It is not clear why American learners of German should be learning German: for business purposes, for…

Offers a humanistic rationale for the study of Latin and recommends the adoption of modern language teaching methods as better suited than the traditional approach to the realization of humanistic and aesthetic goals. (KM)

Language learning should be taught to cultivate appreciation of the richness and diversity of the world, not just to gain a competitive edge. The language community must teach languages as a path to many kinds of knowledge, begin foreign-language instruction in the elementary schools, and maintain interest in foreign languages and provide…

This publication is a legal document that specifies the minimum performance outcomes for student learning within a three-course sequence. These outcomes are defined in terms of the contexts for language learning, the communicative acts that students will engage in and the repertoire needed to carry out these acts. The overarching goal of this…

This article, concerning the role of foreign language instruction within the framework of career education, provides a brief review of newly emerging educational theory. Several definitions of career education trace their origins back to the "life adjustment" educational philosophy proposed by John Dewey. A model program for career education, the…

An exposition and refutation of two writers taken as representative of those accusing linguists who support the teaching of Standard English as a second language of covert racism. (JM)

Attempting to discredit the widely held myth that the study of foreign languages serves only the interests of the college-bound student, this study describes a survey on the status of foreign language study in Illinois and proposes a new rationale for the study of foreign languages which would benefit the majority of students in American schools.…

William Riley Parker's arguments favoring and supporting the post-World War II boom in language learning in America are criticized in an attempt to discover a more relevant rationale for language instruction in the 1970's. Specifically, the belief that world peace can be maintained and that international understanding can be considerably improved…