This report describes the use of the natural approach to second language instruction to improve the teacher training program at Purdue University (Indiana). First, the report discusses the establishment of a permanent, non-tenure-track position of Assistant Director for Beginning Levels of Spanish. Second, focus is on the improvement of the…

Michigan Technological University has introduced a program which awards a certificate in Foreign Language and Area Study to students completing two years of the same foreign language and three area studies courses. It was developed in response to the necessity of dropping 19 foreign language courses. A survey of freshman English students revealed…

An experimental program to individualize intermediate French instruction through specific, personalized work emphasizes oral language in the classroom, and reading, listening, and writing in its individualized portion. (MSE)

The University of Hull (England) has a 2-year commercial French course within its language program. The first-year of the course is required of all undergraduates. Materials are largely written by faculty. All faculty have additional training in French economy and culture. Testing occurs twice a year, with four written skill areas from the French…

The structure and philosophy of a college bilingual program is described within the context of Ontario's bilingual education system, differentiating between university-level education intended to meet the needs of Franco-Ontarians and bilingual education intended to produce graduates equally at home in the language and culture of both official…

A self-paced introductory French course sequence offered at Francis Marion College (South Carolina) was begun in response to nontraditional students' difficult study schedules and varied language backgrounds and knowledge levels. This program of individualized instruction has objectives identical to that of standard French instruction at the same…

A French curriculum development and research project at Erindale College (Canada), established in 1985, studies and initiates incorporation of computer technology into the University of Toronto French program. Specific objectives include evaluation and adaptation of existing software, development of an undergraduate course in computer applications…

A Swedish university program in which French language students played parts in a series of Moliere plays is described. The activity integrated linguistic, cultural, and literary objectives, and included text analyses, pronunciation instruction, and development of oral expression. (MSE)

A course in English as a second language for international graduate student instructors at the University of California at Berkeley is described. In its first offerings, the course served students from three Asian countries and a variety of disciplines. It consisted of work in language, culture, and instructional techniques integrated into all…

Issues 1 and 2 (combined) of the 1995 journal contain these articles: "Accelerated Learning in a Beginning College-Level French Class at the University of Houston" (Patrice Caux); "The Psychobiology of Learning and Memory" (Don Schuster); "Do the Seeds of Accelerated Language Learning and Teaching Lie in a Behavioral…

For many years, the modern language enrollment at Butler University included many students with a second major in education, and the language curriculum served this population. As the number of teacher trainees diminished, foreign language majors increasingly indicated second majors in business. To serve this population, the foreign language…

A college-level introductory Spanish instructional system uses an interactive combination of microcomputer and program-stop tape recorder to enhance students' listening skills. The basic content is listening drills, adapted to the computer medium. Microcomputer use adds considerable versatility to instructional materials, including such features…

At the Louisiana State University Laboratory School, the 4-year course sequences in French and Spanish use American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines as a basis for planning for language skill development. In listening proficiency, the course sequence integrates teaching of listening skills with other…

A Kean College (New Jersey) program in English as a Second Language (ESL) designed to ease students' transition to mainstream classes focuses on reinforcing existing English skills, encouraging interaction between limited-English-speaking and native-speaking students, providing academic support, encouraging confidence, and helping teachers modify…

This paper describes "Ditch the Dictionary," a college faculty development workshop at Johnson and Wales University (Rhode Island) that applies the theory of multiple intelligences to vocabulary development and reading instruction in the English-as-a-Second-Language classroom. It was found that the institution's international and…