The new national educational policy was implemented at secondary schools in 2002 in Japan. The revised Course of Study for foreign language education corresponding to the national educational policy decreased the number of English lessons per week from four to three at the junior high school level, which resulted in a 25% decrease in English…

Describes the experience of two high school French teachers who developed a curriculum for the nine French courses, according to school and departmental goals. The curriculum was developed according to the ACTFL/ETS proficiency guidelines. Examples are given of the format for Level One units. (SED)

James Macdonald introduces six papers on various aspects of language and meaning in the development of educational curricula. Dwayne Huebner discusses traditional tasks and educational realities and points out value systems affecting curricula. He concludes that educators should free themselves from present methodologies and find new ways to…

Investigates the relationship between the curriculum structure and the learning of Chinese. Analyzes the characteristics of the South East Coast Version of the junior secondary school text from Chinese Mainland to inform the teaching and learning of Chinese in Hong Kong. (CMK)

The College Board's recent report on academic preparation for college calls for foreign language proficiencies to be developed in secondary education. The needed proficiencies are outlined more specifically in a special booklet that also offers teachers practical suggestions for achieving them. The process of integrating language proficiency goals…

The use of language proficiency rating scales in Australian school language programs is discussed, focusing primarily on the Australian Second Language Proficiency Ratings (ASLPR), the only direct instrument developed in Australia that is in widespread use and that has been extensively tested. It is also the only one developed for use with a…

A report presenting a sampling of proficiency-related projects consists of two parts. The first is a report on the state of the art describing programs, grants in progress, and plans to implement proficiency-based teaching. It was found that the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and the Educational Testing Service (ETS) have…

The teaching of the Chinese language in the United States needs first to depart from the classical attitude that the sole goal is research, and to include among its objectives the occupational needs of all types of learners. To meet the problem of student "nomadism" at home and abroad, there should be certification of all transfers in terms of…

A study investigated the relevance and usefulness of inservice teacher training courses once the teacher returned to the classroom. Subjects were 207 participants in a course for secondary school teachers of English as a Second Language in Hong Kong. The course has two emphases: language proficiency improvement and curriculum development. Subjects…

British editors and authors have applied Jim Cummins' creative ideas in various settings in British schools, by using a novel technique of curriculum related assessment with bilingual children. Articles in five chapters demonstrate the flexibility, promise, and limitations of this technique. Articles include: "The Development of a Model of…

During 1988-89, the Austin Independent School District's Title 7 program continued to supplement services through the locally funded bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs to secondary students of limited English proficiency. The 1988-89 Title 7 evaluation report provides an overview of the programs's changes, staff training,…

Major factors influencing goals and outcomes of foreign language education are reviewed in order to identify a common core of goals. Alternative approaches to specifying outcomes are discussed and sample lists of outcomes for three levels of study are presented. The review of the main influences on the educational scene during the past decade…

Fort Worth's Language Center programs offer intensive instruction in English and in social studies to limited-English-speaking students from grades 6-12 in five middle schools and four high schools. The program's objective is to bring the students' English language proficiency to a level enabling them to compete academically in a less sheltered…

The purpose of this inservice package is to meet the immediate, short-range need for training vocational educators to serve limited English proficient (LEP) students effectively. It is designed to be presented by professionals who provide inservice training as a 2-day workshop or as several shorter workshops. Introductory materials include…