By exploring languages other than their own, children can learn important concepts about the nature of language. The center described here was designed to help a class of sixth graders understand that within their own structure languages assign meanings to symbols arbitrarily and to stimulate interest in the way languages operate. (Author)

Canadian alternatives to early immersion programs for acquisition of French as a second language are discussed in the context of feasibility and known or potential value. The concept of a bicultural school is discussed. (Author/RM)

The population of immigrant workers in France is described; their social and educational statuses are given as well as statistics by nationality. This definition is then used to help establish a program for educating this segment of the population in the French language. (Text is in French.) (TL)

This article outlines the audio-visual structuro-global method of teaching foreign languages, discusses its positive and negative points, and discusses the causes of its negative points. (Text is in French.) (CLK)

Fifth- and sixth-graders can learn, from the beginning, to express themselves in the foreign language. Language elements are adapted to their needs, approved by age-peers who are native speakers. School situations are listed in which the material can be used. A sample teaching sequence is given. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Shows, with examples of application, how pattern drills can be varied to fit various levels of difficulty. Variations in exercise technique according to the difficulty level can be realized quantitatively by changes in the stimulus and/or response, and qualitatively by variation of material (vocabulary and structures). (Text is in German.)…

Discusses contextless drills, pattern exercises in dialog form, exercises with indicated situation, micro-dialogs. The latter three are useful for impressing the material on the memory and for developing competence in dialog. A warning is given against limiting the drill period to pattern practice alone. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

Addresses two alternative questions: (1) Are there important characteristics, similarities and parallels between the various concepts of language awareness (LA) that have been unduly overlooked by the continental followers of British LA? (2) Has the term LA and the British concept behind it added a new dimension to European language…

Notes that although the popularity of Spanish as a foreign language has increased in Yugoslavia, little attention has been paid to Spanish teachers' attitudes toward foreign language teaching or to their continuous education. Presents a survey of teacher attitudes regarding curriculum and teaching methods. Results indicate that the teaching staff…

Shows how one teacher skillfully integrates vocabulary instruction with his subject matter teaching. The teacher links the target vocabulary to the students' experiences and concentrates on word meanings and their written and oral forms and syntactic behavior, pushing students to accurate use of the words in context. (12 references) (Author/CK)

Assesses the effect of a program of communicative language teaching on foreign-language (FL) acquisition in the United States. The article describes the frustration of FL teachers and students at students' difficulty in reaching senior-level status and suggests that colleges require FL majors to spend a year in an immersion program in countries…

Reviews psychological aspects relevant to second language (L2) vocabulary list learning and reports on an experiment conducted with high school students learning French. Findings reveal that presenting vocabulary items in first language-second language order is the more versatile form of presentation if both production and comprehension of L2…

Argues that research invoking Brown and Levinson's theory of politeness in order to determine "rules of politeness" should not form the basis of the teaching of "politeness phenomena" in foreign- and English-as-a-Second-Language pedagogy. Maintains that a refocusing is called for that views politeness as appropriateness, a view…

Discusses the connection between second language acquisition (SLA) research and second and foreign language (S/FL) teaching from the viewpoint that such a relationship is desirable and that it is advantageous to see it as one mediated by various factors. Argues that the relationship is presently often weaker than it should be, particularly owing…

Considers the most recently published or re-edited North American textbooks for Italian with a view to discussing the current methodological trends they illustrate. Findings indicate that all except one of the seven textbooks reviewed have been upgraded to reflect an integrated or eclectic approach and that they differ mainly in the authors'…