Second language study in French universities includes both modern language (literary) and foreign language (communicative) approaches, although teaching is dominated by the literary strand. Traditional educational models based on the transmission of knowledge are unable to accommodate recent progress in our understanding of learning theory, which…

Recommends a teaching approach to promote the internalization of rules as an extension of the grammar-translation method. Activities include imitation, interpretation, question and answer, normal foreign language conversation, independent speaking of sentences and using the "sentence making machine." (MLA)

Due to differences in the grammars of English and French, "pendant" and "depuis" are as difficult to master for English speakers as their equivalents "for" and "since" are for French speakers. To the former, three facts are crucial: (1) "depuis" corresponds to both "for" and "since," which creates ambiguities; (2) "depuis" applies to an…

This paper describes and explains a classroom exercise in French translation, with a view to promoting translation as an integral part of language instruction, particularly at the third-year college level when the student can be expected to have acquired an advanced knowledge of the parts of speech, of the grammatical distribution and their…

Abridged version of an article which appeared in Langue Francaise", n8 Dec 1970. (DS)

Examines the methodology used in the teaching of foreign languages in the Anglophone Caribbean. Although the methodology most widely used has been the grammar-translation method, there has been a shift to a more communicative methodology based on a notional-functional approach. The language situation here reflects the social and political…

This is a report on a statewide experiment conducted in Pennsylvania secondary schools of all types during the 1965-66 school year. The project sought to determine the effectiveness of various teaching strategies and of the language laboratory in the environment of the real school situation. Each of 61 first-year French classes and 43 first-year…

Suggestions are offered for teaching languages during the transitional period from the audiolingual level to the reading and writing proficiency level. The importance of developing listening comprehension is stressed, and it is suggested that traditional grammar and translation methods be integrated into the language program. Special attention is…

USOE Projects 5-0683 and 7-0133 (Pennsylvania Foreign Language Projects entitled "An Assessment of Three Foreign Language Teaching Strategies Utilizing Three Language Laboratory Systems" and "A Comparison Study of the Effectiveness of the Traditional and Audiolingual Approaches to Foreign Language Instruction Utilizing Laboratory…

This paper presents historical information about language teaching methods and focuses on "formal" and "functional" strategies of teaching and learning. Particular attention is directed toward the immersion type of education. A table that lists developments in language teaching theory from 1840-1977 is presented. A table that summarizes…

The paper reports some of the results of a preliminary survey of the language proficiency of matriculation students of French in Britain and Australia. The technique used (especially the use of Chief Examiners' reports) is justified and the deficiencies that exist in current matriculation examinations are noted. In particular, the examinations are…

This paper focuses on the mechanism by which the successful learner acquires a second language. The author postulates a core language, the common core of the speaker's native and target languages, and states that the second language becomes an extension of this common core. Whatever language-specific features are added while acquiring the second…