The report summarizes a British research project, part of a larger initiative on educational quality, concerning the extent of secondary students' knowledge about the nature of language, native and foreign, alongside development of practical language skills. The main study was an empirical investigation of the teaching of English and foreign…

Based on widespread teacher perceptions that British upper secondary school students entering advanced language courses are poorly prepared, an approach for making the transition to advanced language instruction is suggested. Teachers are invited to use existing syllabuses creatively to develop language awareness as well as language skills. Four…

Cross-cultural competence is a recent movement with important implications for foreign language teaching, schools of business and economics, and firms engaged in either international or national commerce. Until now, it has not been adequately addressed. Higher education must investigate strategies for more effective integration of culture into the…

A discussion of second language program evaluation is intended for staff (teachers, program planners, materials writers, program managers) of programs being evaluated, to help them understand the process and dynamics of program evaluation. It addresses common concerns and fears about evaluation, offers ways in which staff can cooperate with…

It is proposed that the training of teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) who anticipate long careers in the field should include a program management training component in addition to traditional pedagogical components. In this approach, management of an ESL program is conceptualized as human resource management, including physical…

Instructional materials designed for the content-based English as a Second Language program at Canada College's English Institute (EI) are presented in this manual. First, an introduction provides background information on the college, its student body, and the program. Drawing on relevant second language theory, this section offers a definition…

To alleviate problems associated with free composition as a method of foreign language writing instruction, the directed writing method was adapted for use in a college French composition course. High-quality French texts, often of only a page or two and written by native speakers, are used as a basis for grammatical analysis and discussion and a…

A description is provided of foreign language and related cultural education (English, French, and German) in Denmark since the 1950s. The first section gives an overview of the development of Danish society in general since the second world war, and more specifically, of developments in foreign language teaching. The second section briefly…

The commonalities between the teaching of writing and the teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL) are discussed. With common instructional practices of iterativeness, contextualization, and cognition delineated between the two fields, four levels of literacy for ESL students are specified. Four levels of ability are distinguished,…

As a followup to the 1979 report by the President's Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies, "Strength Through Wisdom," a study was conducted to learn what progress has been made toward improving international knowledge among Americans. State foreign language supervisors and others responsible for international education…

Developing literacy in adults who speak English as a second language (ESL) means more than rote memorization of letters and sounds, because literacy implies a familiarity with the language and culture sufficient for comfortable interaction and communication of ideas to others. Literacy can be defined as (1) a matter of language, (2) having many…

This curriculum guide provides materials for teachers who work with the limited English proficient (LEP) population. Sections I, II, and III include an introduction, the mission statement, and philosophy statement. Section IV presents characteristics of various LEP students. Section V is a guide for effective teaching of English as a second…

The culture of the United States has been based on assimilation, in which new immigrants tend to put aside their past, including their linguistic past, and merge with the rest of society. As the United States economy becomes more intertwined with that of the rest of the world, these patterns are changing, and there is now a greater recognition of…

The first half of this book focuses on the rationale, ideas, and information for the use of technology, including microcomputers, to improve language teaching efficiency. Topics discussed include foreign language computer assisted instruction (CAI), hardware and software selection, computer literacy, educational computing organizations, ease of…

Descriptions of elementary and junior high school foreign language courses offered in Montgomery County, Maryland, are presented. Minimum attainments expected of students at the end of each course are set forth. The descriptions are level- rather than language-specific, and apply to all of the languages offered. The course listing is preceded by…