Refutes earlier ideas that encouraging bilingualism at a young age retards learning and causes behavioral problems, confusion and anxiety. Considers as sources of learning problems, long overlooked factors such as socioeconomic status, minority affiliation, and society's attitude toward the language of instruction or the dominant language.…

Overviews developments shaping the current environment of language teaching and learning in Australia, with particular attention to developments in New South Wales, covering such issues as educational organization and structure; the rise in global lifestyles and cultural nationalism; multiculturalism; and the roles of schools, communities, outside…

Questions in the title refer to reasons for learning a second language, the best time to begin, what language to choose, and methods most likely to succeed. Using examples from Danish language experience, the author urges that language teaching relate more closely to learners' desires, needs, attitudes and mental capacity. (CHK)

Provisions for multicultural education in Australia include expanded ESL and foreign language offerings, various bilingual and bicultural curriculum projects for ethnic schools, and revamping of social studies programs to educate all students and teachers about Australia's ethnic minorities. While such programs should enhance mutual respect and…

Since polysemy narrows down the semantic autonomy of the isolated word and increases the importance of the surrounding context, teaching children this concept is critical in order to prevent ambiguity and confusion. Concerning socially disadvantaged children, it is particularly essential to convey the idea that one phenomenon can have different…

This paper investigates the beliefs about language learning held by 53 first-month university students enrolled in Swahili compared to those of 113 students of French and Spanish. Based in part upon the research design and instrument of Elaine Horwitz (University of Texas-Austin), this paper isolates the results from a larger study of eight…

The use of the Language Background Questionnaire is analyzed, and the following criticisms are offered: (1) the varying nature and range of questions used, (2) the inclusion of indirect language background questions, and (3) previous methods of categorization of individuals into groups using language background scores. (SL)

This book is designed to assist those who work with non-English dominant students by providing resource information relevant to second language teaching and learning. The articles in the series encompass both theory and practical learning techniques in six general topics. The articles in the first text of the series, concerning background and…

Study considers teachers' evaluations of students who perform equivalently in written academic work but who have distinct speech varieties including Spanish-influenced English. Despite length of teaching experience and teacher ethnicity, all teachers favored the non-Spanish-influenced speakers. (SL)

This work is one in a series that focuses on nine languages representing the bulk of the second language learning effort in Australian education (Arabic, Modern Standard Chinese, French, German, Modern Greek, Indonesian/Malay, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish). These languages were categorized as the Languages of Wider Teaching. Overviews of Arabic…

Papers are presented from a colloquium on the teaching of German in the United Kingdom. Following an introduction by C.V. James, the following papers on the schools are presented: "A General View" by M. Lodge; "A Regional View" by R. Sheppard and G. Turner; "As the Teacher-Trainer Sees Them" by A. Hornsey;…

This volume consists of the following articles: (1) "Introduction: Language Is the Link," by June K. Phillips; (2) "Foreign Language Study for a World in Transition," by Harold G. Shane and David L. Silvernail; (3) "Our Language Heritage: A Historical Perspective," by Shirley Brice Heath; (4) "Communication and Beyond," by Diane W. Birckbichler;…

This study was conducted to identify successful foreign language programs in undergraduate institutions of higher learning and to examine those factors which were felt to have contributed to their success. The study attempted to find patterns and approaches to foreign language instruction which might be generalized, reproduced, or adapted by other…

This report presents the results of a survey of innovative foreign language curricula in U.S. colleges and universities undertaken in 1974-75 by the Modern Language Association. The survey results published comprise three sections: (1) seventy-seven detailed curriculum reports including topics that are career-related, community-related,…

A survey was carried out at the request of the London, Ontario, Board of Education in order to assess the attitudes of the London community toward the public school system French program. Thirteen groups were identified whose attitudes and opinions concerning French programming were to be sampled. Each group received one of the five forms of the…