The globalisation of higher education and the resultant increase in the cultural and linguistic diversity of the student body has cast the spotlight on English language proficiency as never before. How universities best assess applicants' linguistic suitability for their future degree studies, set appropriate proficiency thresholds, and put in…

Foreign language departments tend to develop into sophisticated organizations, giving service to large numbers of students and capable of applying the best technology available. Several models of departmental organization indicate some lines of effective growth. (JB)

The objective of the course described here is to provide the teaching assistants (TAs) with help, encouragement, and constructive criticism. An orientation program lasts one week and follows the following schedule: (1) On the first day, a general introduction to general university and departmental policies is given, as well as to teaching methods…

Proposed and existing models of research and professional development through which language faculty can participate in the reward structure are surveyed and evaluated for their applicability to the small multilingual, primarily baccalaureate department. All existing models are found to be burdened by political drawbacks, and a new model is…

The study and appreciation of literature should retain its traditional position at the center of foreign language study. A "problem-centered" model is described for teaching literature in the undergraduate foreign language classroom using texts organized around a series of complex critical problems. (CB)

Modifications made to the Dartmouth Intensive Language Model (DILM), an intensive immersion program, resulted in its effective implementation and enhancement of a small-college foreign language program, in spite of such limitations as a very small teaching staff, inexperienced and anxious students, and decreased contact hours for the program. (CB)

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…

The development of a successful short-range forecasting model for predicting enrollment in a university intensive English course began with examination of the characteristics (nationality, enrollment patterns, persistence) of both course participants and no-shows; the resulting figures revealed consistent patterns for country of origin and for…

A discussion of innovation in college and university intensive English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs uses a systems approach to analyze program elements (constituencies, decision-makers, purpose, performance measures, environments, resources, subsystems, and boundaries) and describes new program initiatives at the University of Pennsylvania.…

Explores issues of competency and proficiency in the learning of foreign languages at the undergraduate level, involving competencies currently established for language learning and the establishment of "tracks" in literature, language, and culture. (CB)

A program model designed to provide intercultural training and foster a global approach to professional education is described. The steps and components necessary to construct a foreign language intercultural course according to this model are outlined. (MSE)

Writing courses at Temple University (Pennsylvania) were adapted from the Writer's Workbench program to provide a computer-assisted instruction model for students to obtain a wide range analysis of their writing abilities and skills. (Author/CB)

Describes a curriculum development research project that took place in the French section of the Department of Modern Languages of the University of Salford in the United Kingdom over a 10-year period. The curriculum is motivated by three interacting theoretical perspectives on how languages are learned at an advanced level.(Author/VWL)

First-year students of French at the University of Wisconsin at Madison had 50-minute classes five days a week, meeting in large groups with a professor twice a week, and in small groups with teaching assistants three times a week. The team-taught model helped reduce problems experienced in teaching load and class size. (CB)

A model for evaluating a college second language writing instruction program is presented, based on experiences at the De La Salle University (Philippines) writing laboratory. The laboratory, a support unit of the university's language program, provides remedial instruction in composition and academic writing for referred students. The proposed…