This book addresses the problem of the future of Germanics as a field of study at colleges and universities in the United States. It is noted that the study of Germanics has been losing tens of thousands of students for the past 25 years, that this slide downward is no longer attracting enough attention from the Germanics community, and if it…

The scope and sequence format for foreign language instruction in Waukesha, Wisconsin's public schools is presented. It charts the specific concepts, skills, and objectives to be included in foreign language exploration (FLEX) courses and courses in French, German, Latin, and Spanish at each of five levels. Each concept, skill, and objective is…

The report presents the main observations and conclusions from a three-day visit by a group of experts from the Council for Cultural Cooperation CDCC Project No. 7 to Vienna and lower Austria to examine educational provisions for migrant children to enhance and accelerate their acquisition of German as a second language and to facilitate their…

In response to requests from students for information about the role of women in target-language cultures, a curriculum was developed by the Minneapolis public schools for women's studies in the high school foreign language classroom. The focus was on women in French, German, and Spanish-speaking countries. The role of women in these cultures has…

The implications of the new Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms for developing second language programs in Edmonton, Alberta, are explored. Immersion programs and ethnic survival programs are examined in depth. (BS)

In an attempt to address diversity, students at the University of California established a task force in 1991 to promote German among students from underrepresented groups. This report outlines the major objectives and achievements of the task force in its first year. (four references) (Author/LB)

To establish preliminary baselines in terms of instruction time and the teaching methodology used, the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview was administered as a final exam to all University of Michigan first- through fourth-semester German students. After one and also after three semesters, the majority of students were Intermediate Mid; after four…

A professionally oriented language course at the University of New South Wales (Australia) is described that is designed for students who have studied German in high school and wish to continue studying it to enhance their employment prospects. Both linguistic proficiency and German business culture are emphasized. (LB)

Examines the extent to which research findings from second language and immersion programs--concerning the efficacy of different instructional approaches--are transferable to the context of foreign language learning in British higher education. Data are drawn from a study of German learners exposed to focus on form tuition and focus on forms…

Curriculum surveys are used periodically to validate the use of Advanced Place Program[R] (AP[R]) Exams as assessments of skills required for advanced college-level study. In the case of AP German Language, the target level is third-year college language study. This article presents results from a 2003 curriculum survey completed by third-year…

Articulation is one of the principal challenges of all foreign language programs. A key component of the articulation process is an assessment of student language abilities. On college and university campuses this process is usually conducted via a placement test. As developments in proficiency research have progressed, it is clear that programs…

In 2002, nearly 100,000 high school students took one of the Advanced Placement Program? (AP?)language examinations in French, German, or Spanish. One way in which the validity of these exams is ensured is through periodic college comparability studies. The purpose of such studies is to equate the AP scores with performance standards in the third…

This is a descriptive outline of the language situation in the Danish education system. The introductory material discusses the reason for foreign language study. A major reason is that Denmark is a small country with a difficult native language for speakers of other languages to learn. Therefore, the Danish population is exposed to foreign…

Examines the impact on the second language skills of advanced high school Spanish students of Indiana University's 20-year-old intensive program abroad. Evidence indicates that resulting language skills exceeded those which might be expected in one full year of high school language instruction. (EKN)

Offers an account of the teaching of French and German in English elementary schools between 1872 and 1904. Argues that French and German became established in the curriculum during this period. Examines the decline of modern language study at the elementary level relative to the Board of Education's policy. (KO)