This interview with Glenn H. Nordin, Assistant Director of Intelligence Policy (Language and Training), Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, explores in depth the officially perceived language needs of the U.S. military in the foreseeable future. Questions and answers include the following: How has the end of the Cold War affected…

Historically, in the educational field, numerous efforts have been made to facilitate the complex process of second language (L2) reading comprehension. While computers are increasingly being used for instruction for L2 reading, there is not yet a solid understanding of how this technology can be effectively used in the area of L2 reading…

The foreign language program in the Edison, New Jersey public schools is described. The exemplary features of this program are: (1) It is not limited to college-bound students, (2) a significant provision is made for program advocacy, and (3) there are full four- and six-year sequences in French, Spanish, and German. (PMJ)

Presents the results of an April 1996 survey on articulation between and among Japanese programs. Attempts to offer commentary about articulation from the perspective of Japanese and about the results of the survey, and to tie these results to more general issues. Suggests that articulation is an ongoing problem for virtually all language…

The Foreign Language Understanding Engendered by Naturalistic Techniques (Fluent) project is an educational system for beginning foreign language learning. Arguments are made in support of Fluent's scientific and practical potential for a situation-based, two-medium conversational environment that refers to pedagogical and second-language…

This paper cites observational and interview evidence indicating that language immersion students in the United States and Canada increasingly avoid using their second language in peer interactions as they move into higher primary grade levels. Implications for immersion programs and teachers are discussed. (32 references) (MDM)

Presents results of a background survey and proficiency test of student teachers at Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman. TEFL student teachers lacked confidence in their speaking ability but had a positive attitude toward the use and study of English in their country. (61 references) (LT)

Describes the systematic planning and subsequent implementation and evaluation of a systemwide Spanish program at the elementary level in a small school district in suburban Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Discusses active participation by all senior administrators, the ways in which the language program has been incorporated into the overall curriculum…

A discussion of enrollment variability and faculty hiring in college second-language departments looks at issues in how institutions handle staffing policy, graduate student admissions, offering graduate students a realistic picture of postgraduation employment prospects, and the master-apprentice relationship of the faculty member and graduate…

Because most language teaching in China is focused on national tests, language is treated as a knowledge subject and development of communicative abilities is often ignored. This article describes activities that one English-as-a-Foreign-Language teacher used to teach oral English to university students in China. (Author/VWL)

Tracks policy forces and developments over the last decade that have brought Australia's English-as-Second-Language (ESL) program to a state of terminal decline. Considers the nature of, and impetus for, the national collaborative effort around literacy, and outlines how this agenda may provide a way forward for ESL into the next century (Adjunct…

Redesign of a beginning Spanish program allowed for an enrollment increase of 85%, lowered cost per student by 29%, and provided a 9% pay raise to the course instructors. Class sizes were reduced from 30 students per section to 25 per section and seat time was reduced from 200 minutes per week to 130 per week. In-class instruction was supplemented…

This paper reports on a sociocultural study conducted in a Catholic primary school in the Australian outback and provides insights into how policy related to Languages Other Than English (LOTE) programmes is implemented in a specific location and interwoven within the literacy practices of children, parents and teachers. A case study that tracked…

This study examines various features of foreign language program offerings at 220 public high schools in California. Foreign language program features were examined in relation to the school's Academic Performance Index (API), the school's socioeconomic status (percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and percentage of…