This Eurydice report contains more than 30 detailed structural indicators, up-to-date figures, definitions, country notes and a short analysis of recent key policy developments and reforms in five areas: early childhood education and care, achievement in basic skills, early leaving from education and training, higher education and graduate…

Presents a brief history of the status of foreign language instruction from 1953 to 1984. Summarizes research on effects of foreign language study. Describes the foreign language education program at the University of Tennessee--Knoxville, providing an overview of the organization, curricular content, and methodology. Evaluates Knoxville's unique…

A comparison of 46 college students with learning disabilities (LD) who received permission to waive a foreign language (FL) requirement with 21 students with LD who fulfilled the requirement found that more students who had petitioned had a 1.0 standard deviation discrepancy between IQ and achievement and were referred only for FL learning…

Describes how one university's change from a seat-time to a proficiency-based foreign-language requirement affected foreign-language programs and instructional approaches, and focuses on the reasons for the change, student and instructor attitudes, and administrative changes. (CB)

Describes the University of Arizona's plan of action for defining and testing second language proficiency at the fourth semester level (a college requirement). Tasks include (1) reviewing proficiency literature; (2) redefining the second language requirement by using the ACTFL proficiency guidelines; (3) developing testing techniques; and (4)…

Proposes, on the basis of a host of curricular factors, a stratification of foreign language programs in U.S. institutions of higher learning into two graded and curricularly distinctive phases. The initial phase would be comprised predominantly of nonmajors who enroll in beginning courses to satisfy a language requirement. The professional phase…

A study of 86 college students with learning disabilities (LD) that received permission to substitute courses for a foreign language (FL) requirement found that there were no differences in cognitive and academic achievement among students with different levels of discrepancy, graduating grade point average (GPA), or college FL GPA. (Author/CR)

This report, derived from a survey of foreign language supervisors in each state and the District of Columbia, provides an overview of the various state initiatives and activities in foreign languages and international studies. The report is intended to provide some useful information to national policymakers, state governments, and concerned…

Discusses research regarding College of Liberal Arts students at the University of Minnesota where there are proficiency requirement-based second-language programs. Research results provide data that compare qualitative results on reading, listening, writing, and speaking proficiency tests of students from the proficiency requirement program at…

Trends in college foreign language requirements and enrollment are reviewed, and the experience of Carleton College is outlined. The college's efforts to strengthen languages' role in the upper division curriculum have included special efforts to create interesting courses and incentives for further study, extracurricular activities, study abroad,…

A survey of 58 higher education institutions revealed that 74 percent had a foreign language admissions or graduation requirement, and 75 percent used placement examinations for incoming students. Schools cited problems of students with previous study enrolling in beginning classes, and of a lack of placement options for students with prior…

The task for those recognizing the importance of foreign language and international studies is to demonstrate to Americans why it makes economic and political sense to invest part of the defense budget in the tools necessary to help Americans talk to, understand, and trade with the rest of the world. (MSE)

Reviews effects on faculty, teaching assistants, curriculum, and students of the proficiency-based foreign language requirement instituted at the University of Pennsylvania. Although important and valuable changes have occurred in the language learning and teaching environment, caution is urged in creating realistic and well-understood standards…

A new program at Boston University that identifies students who would have great difficulty fulfilling their foreign language requirement is described. This program offers an alternative sequence of courses designed to help these students achieve foreign language learning success. (LMO)

The University of Pennsylvania's foreign language requirement self-study resulted in re-evaluation of the existing language program. It revealed that most freshmen were not exempted from college second language study by standardized test scores and that the university's required courses were not producing the desired results. These findings…