The last few years have seen the implementation of fundamental structural and curricular policy initiatives affecting the teaching of languages in schools in England. Several policy initiatives have been introduced by the government affecting the position and status of languages in schools, such as the development of foreign language teaching in…

This publication is a legal document that specifies the minimum performance outcomes for student learning within a three-course sequence. These outcomes are defined in terms of the contexts for language learning, the communicative acts that students will engage in and the repertoire needed to carry out these acts. The overarching goal of this…

As schools shift to a performance-based model of language instruction, your world language programs will be challenged to keep up with new instructional activities and assessments. This new volume in our "Priorities in Practice" series can help. Explore the new directions schools and districts are taking in designing and implementing flexible…

The purpose of this article is to discuss the inseparable relation between culture and language and the implementation of instructional strategies for teaching second language through culture to enhance students' linguistic comprehension. Language is not only the product of culture, but also is the symbol of culture (Gleason, 1961). Culture must…

The debate over whether Canadian second-language teaching should emphasize language study or language experience is examined, and it is concluded that the emerging consensus is for integration of the two in English and French second-language instruction. The National Core French Study teaching model is recommended for all languages. (10…

Failure to progress on the language proficiency scale is often due to lack of linguistic accuracy. Even motivated students are sometimes unable to improve proficiency ratings beyond a particular level. Pedagogical factors contributing to this problem include: focus on form and meaning at the same time; fossilization; overuse of communicative…

Considers the future challenges for languages in Australia. Discusses the place of language in policy, the place of languages in the curriculum, the role of professional associations, and redeveloping a constituency for languages. (Author/VWL)

This paper reports on the implementation of an ambitious bilingual instructional programme in the P'urhepecha-speaking region of Michoacan state in Mexico, the Meseta Tarasca. A curriculum of indigenous language preservation and cultural affirmation, overturning the previous Spanish-only programme, has been developed by a group of indigenous…

It is proposed that a general communicative second language syllabus can be adapted for the specific requirements of a second language reading model. This is demonstrated with one model by filling the content, product, and process dimensions with reading-specific elements. Content consists of text type of form (novel, news story, report, etc.),…

The need to incorporate a foreign-language component in international business curricula is examined. The value of foreign language is analyzed from the perspectives of international business executives, managers, and other employees, national commissions on education, and academic administrators and faculty. It is concluded that language study…

"Los Arboles Hablan," a video-based curriculum that promotes the learning of Spanish as a second language through study of the Latin American rain forests is described. The 12-session unit was designed for use at the middle school level and integrates science, social science, and environmental education with content focusing on the…

The role of grammar instruction in proficiency-oriented second language instruction (POI) is examined, drawing on research and theory on second language use and instruction. Several premises are stated: (1) formal grammar has an important role in POI, while focus on form and communicative practice should be maintained; (2) in POI, a syllabus that…

Discussion of the English language needs of the Arab world looks at two general kinds of needs: societal and educational-cultural. Some major needs analysis studies conducted in the Arab world, particularly that of the Gulf region, are reviewed. The need for comprehensive research in this area, for the purpose of curriculum design, is emphasized.…

This article describes curricular accommodations in the foreign language for college students with language learning disabilities. Elements of a model program are discussed, including advising, instruction, and efficacy research. The implementation of these components is described with particular reference to modified programs in Italian, Spanish,…

The origins and design of a framework for Japanese second language instruction and curriculum development, created for use in international schools in Japan, are described. The effort was part of a Japanese Language Project undertaken by the Japanese Council for International Schools and funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education. The guiding…