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)

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…

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…

The Beijing Foreign Languages Institute is one of about 60 colleges and universities in the People's Republic of China that is directly under the Ministry of Education. Attached to the Institute are a high school and an elementary school where students start learning foreign languages in third grade. Classroom teaching is supplemented by…

Outlines the format for a course dedicated exclusively to the teaching of listening skills at the intermediate and advanced second language instruction levels. Suggestions are made regarding instructional materials, testing, grading, assignments, class interaction, and organization. (Author/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)…

Recounts the decision-making processes involved in the acquisition (or renovation) of a language laboratory for a small college. Of critical importance was the determination of how the laboratory would best be utilized as well as how it would operate. These decisions determined the best choice of equipment. (SL)

A college advanced speaking course designed with the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines is described. Students prepared and performed many communicative tasks, including narrating, describing, hypothesizing, supporting an opinion, debating, and interviewing for a job. Other components include pair and small-group work, audio and videotaping, and pre-…

The development and results of Career Spanish instruction at Mesa State College in Colorado from 1975 to 1991 are described. The class is an individualized, career-oriented class for students who have only 3 to 6 semester hours available for foreign language study and an interest in particular vocational applications of Spanish. With no…

The standardization of second language proficiency levels for university students in Germany is discussed. Problems with the current system, in which each university has developed its own program of study and proficiency certification, are examined and a framework for development of a unified language certificate for all universities is outlined.…

Eastern Michigan University's program in language and international trade has three features that distinguish it from other attempts to address the role of world business or language education: (1) the spirit of cooperation evident in the interdisciplinary or joint degree, (2) the equal importance given to foreign language and business education,…

A federally funded project was undertaken at the University of New Hampshire to: (1) determine the feasibility of incorporating specific techniques of oral proficiency evaluation in college-level foreign language courses, (2) create a network of foreign language professors in northern New England colleges and universities trained in the use of…

The commonly-occurring mismatch between second language student and course level, resulting in student boredom or intimidation, is due to overreliance on standardized language tests. These tests emphasize passive skills, such as recognition of grammatical structures and translation, and they ignore the element of communicative competence. As a…

Two approaches to college second language instruction are described. One, an on-campus option, gives students a classroom opportunity that is similar to the intensive/immersion program, which is a ten-week intensive language course followed by a ten-week program in Mexico, France, or Germany. The on-campus option, called "Super," is a…

Describes the participation of five Pennsylvania colleges in a summer study program at the Akademie Neiderberg in Bonn, West Germany. The program offers an integrated approach to language instruction and cultural studies that is tailored to fit the specific needs and preparation of its participants. (CB)