The popularity of using textbooks in second language programs in universities around the world continues to grow. Textbooks support teachers in their teaching by providing accessible materials and clear instruction. In addition, learners are guided by familiar lesson frameworks (e.g., beginning, middle, end) to guide their independent study…

Compares the order of acquisition of German syntactic structures in the untutored adult learner with the order of presentation of these structures in seven, commonly used German textbooks in four-year, postsecondary institutions. (EKN)

This article presents a survey of textbooks for second-year college Spanish courses published in the last ten years. (CFM)

The current approach in teaching Japanese as a second language is questioned as inefficient. The forward-looking approach does not condition students to expect that they must learn all the items of a set before being able to learn anything else. (HP)

It is shown that many students' errors in second-language learning are based on conclusions that they are drawing from faulty and incomplete information in textbooks, whereas other "errors" are the result of normal language learning strategies and occur in systematic patterns. (LB)

It is the contention of this paper that there are general principles which determine the choice of the form of the diminutive and that these principles can and should be included in a first-year college Spanish text. The paper begins with a critical analysis of the traditional rules for diminutive formation, followed by a review of the information…

Of 21 beginning French textbooks evaluated according to presentation of French culture, only two met the cultural and pedagogical criteria derived from various models. Lacking this cultural content, students cannot fully learn the foreign language. (PMJ)

Analysis of the responses of 286 students of German to a questionnaire regarding their interest in textbooks' cultural content showed that the 10 textbooks analyzed did not generally offer much information on the highest-ranked 25 (out of 99) topics of interest to the students. (24 references) (CB)

Despite some exceptions in recent years, most elementary foreign language texts continue to be organized in a typical "twenty-five lesson" format bound by an old-fashioned idea of continuity. It is argued that this format is a major source of student frustration and a barrier to optimum second language acquisition. As one possible alternative, an…

Analyzes representative texts now in use in undergraduate Russian instruction, and seeks to stimulate investigation of texts which may have been overlooked in this survey. (AM)

A study examined the occurrence of specific grammatical structures (double object pronouns, nominalization with "lo," demonstrative adjectives/pronouns, and possessive adjectives/pronouns) in oral samples of native speaker Spanish and compared the results with the treatment of the structures in six beginning-level college Spanish textbooks.…

Examines the different attitudes of native speakers in understanding a written genre of Modern Standard Chinese--sales letters. The study focuses on the use of formulaic components appearing in real Chinese sales letters and compares these components with the advice given in textbooks. Findings reveal a gap between business teaching and business…

Examines the evolution of Spanish textbooks qualitatively using computerized pedagogical data. Results show distinct generational text style trends from 1860 to 1998 which chronicle a common engine of change and conflict in standardization movements and the production of generational text styles. Summarizes 20th-century textbook generations and…

Discusses the importance of teaching foreign languages through culture and culture through language study. Addresses how the textbooks used to study English by Russian students must focus more on the needs of Russian students. Summarizes the findings from a survey demonstrating that Russian students' knowledge of U.S. culture originates from…

Describes a variation of content-based instruction for beginning-level language learners called content-enriched instruction (CEI). In CEI, emphasis is on cultural and real-world information, and vocabulary, grammar, and content are integrated to reflect a specific theme, or converge to represent a specific topic. (Author/CK) (28 references)