This article documents a curriculum reform of the second-year German program at the Department of Germanic Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. This curricular reform had two goals: (1) compressing two semesters of intermediate-level language instruction into a single semester; (2) incorporating a strategy-based approach to literary…

This article documents a curriculum reform of the second-year German program at the Department of Germanic Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. This curricular reform had two goals: (1) compressing two semesters of intermediate-level language instruction into a single semester; (2) incorporating a strategy-based approach to literary…

Describes a thematic, communication-oriented approach developed by the foreign language department at the University of Maryland Baltimore County to the first-year and intermediate sequences in French, German, and Spanish. Design of the syllabus, instructional materials, and teaching techniques are discussed. (Author/CB)

This collection of essays gives detailed information about the administrative organization, staffing, program, students, testing, and research regarding intensive English programs (IEP). The following essays are included: (1) "Introduction," by R. Barrett; (2) "The General Administration of the IEP," by R. Daesch; (3) "The Selection of Intensive…

It is argued that a functional-notional syllabus is practical and useful for second language instruction at the college level. It constitutes a natural progression from secondary school curricula that emphasize communication in that it uses the same basic organization and similar categories. However, it differs from them in that it pays particular…

A comparison of the end-of-study versus months-to-years later levels of language proficiency of 49 students of Japanese at Cornell University, from both intensive and nonintensive programs, is reported. In addition to academic records and performance on the Japanese Proficiency Test, data obtained from a comprehensive background questionnaire…

The two-term technical writing course at the University of Aizu (Japan) was developed to help computer science majors develop writing skills needed for academic and future career activities. The course was first organized and presented in 1994 and has undergone continuous evaluation and revision. During the first two years, it was presented in two…

The report details a project at the University of Iowa to introduce significant cultural materials into French and German second language courses through multimedia instruction. Project accomplishments include: development of cultural fluency objectives for intermediate-level language programs; development of multimedia interactions for teaching…

In a 3-year, federally-funded program, faculty at St. Olaf College (Minnesota) have developed a series of behavioral and natural science courses in which students with at least the fourth semester of foreign language do a portion of the course readings in the second language and meet once a week to discuss them in that language with the regular…

A collection of 11 papers presented at the conference on applications of foreign languages and international studies to business addresses curriculum development and materials selection for college business Spanish. The following papers are included: "Procedures for Implementing and Funding Spanish Courses for University Business Students" (Laura…

Project LEAP (Learning English-for-Academic-Purposes) is a three-year faculty development and supplemental instruction partnership to improve the academic literacy skills of native-born, immigrant, and international language minority students. This manual is the third set of faculty development materials produced by the project, presenting…