Compared 20 good and poor readers in a second-grade French immersion program to 20 good and poor readers in regular English second-grade classes on various indexes of reading accuracy and speed. Found that English-only students achieved independent reading in greater numbers than French immersion students did in either French or English. (MDM)

This article offers suggestions for preschool and elementary school second language programs that will help students appreciate and understand the culture of the language they are studying. It focuses on cultural differences in nonverbal communication, art appreciation, teacher training and recruitment, and research needs in the field. (11…

Describes various aspects of the Toshiba Corporation's language training program. The Toshiba case illustrates some of the problems at a practical level with the concept of Business English (BE), the distinction between BE and English for Specific Purposes, and the incorporation of cross-cultural communication training into language instruction.…

Provides a case study of a computer-assisted language learning (CALL) program for beginning learners of Spanish at the University of Bradford, England. The pros and cons of various software used in the program, as well student attitudes toward CALL, are discussed. (six references) (MDM)

A description of the French language training program used in Canada's Public Service Commission outlines its two components, a core course for lower levels and an independent study package, and other program aspects, including program characteristics, application of the communicative approach, notions as organizing principles, methodology, tests,…

A survey of 94 British higher education institutions investigated the English language support services provided to foreign students. Almost all institutions provided in-session language support, and three-fourths provided presession language courses. However, staffing problems, relationships between academic and language support staff, lack of…

Examines the effect of foreign language education on the basic skills of elementary school students. A group of third-grade students given three 30-minute Spanish language lessons per week performed as well as or better than a control group (given no second-language instruction) on academic achievement tests. (ER)

It is suggested that trends in federal and state policy formation are working against the advancement of second language education in Illinois. While the passage of the Goals 2000: Educate America Act at the federal level was a positive step, legislating that foreign language be part of the core curriculum, a subsequent state policy draft excluded…

An elementary school English second language program in Caen (France) is described and evaluated. The program evolved from national policy initiatives to reintroduce modern foreign languages in the primary schools. The eventual National Experiment involved a selected number of schools in which a foreign language was to be taught. Data for this…

The report evaluates the Australian Second Language Learning Program, intended to promote introduction and expansion of second language learning in Australian elementary and secondary schools. The assessment was conducted after 2 years of the 4-year program development phase. The report consists of an executive summary and three main parts,…

In response to high demand for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction among the community's Chinese-speaking population, the Quincy School Community Council (Massachusetts) developed the Take And Give (TAG) program, in which graduates of the highest-level ESL classes were trained as peer tutors for students at the lowest instructional…

The paper, prepared as a background paper for a larger project on adult English as a Second Language (ESL), discusses a variety of issues and challenges in improving adult ESL services in the United States. An introductory section offers an overview of demographic and educational factors affecting the education of limited-English-proficient (LEP)…

Proceedings of a seminar on the management of English second language training (ELT) in British technical assistance programs are presented in the form of narrative summaries. An introductory section gives an overview of the conference. Four subsequent chapters summarize presentations and discussions on these topics: project management,…

This report analyzes and summarizes the National Security Education Act of 1991 (NSEA) which authorizes a new program of aid for foreign language and area studies. The report discusses the legislation's aim to increase future national security through enhanced foreign language abilities and knowledge of other countries, the NSEA's authorized…

The second year of implementation of the Garfield Latin Grammar Magnet Elementary School in Kansas City, Missouri, is reported. The Latin grammar program operates in a traditional setting that includes strong emphasis on discipline and behavior, systemative and rigorous homework policies, and the strong commitment of staff, students, and parents.…