The teaching and learning of a foreign language is a complex process; since there has been a change in the pedagogy of the foreign language from a specific foreign language method to the measurement of linguistic performance and competence. In all areas of learning, motivation is essential to succeed. The aim of this study is to analyze the…

In recent debates about curriculum, Young (2008, p. 101) has proposed school learning must involve initiation into the "powerful knowledge" of the disciplines that underpin subject domains, thereby "giving students the tools to think the unthinkable". Opponents query whether such knowledge is available in subjects such as…

US teacher education has been scrutinized for years. In this essay, the author discusses the four major questions that have driven educational reform. Afterward, a historical account of teacher education focusing on teacher certification, teacher testing, and the teaching of modern languages is presented. An international perspective is added by…

Reading aloud is apparently an indispensible part of teaching. Nevertheless, little is known about reading aloud across the curriculum by students and teachers in high schools. Nor do we understand teachers' attitudes towards issues such as error correction, rehearsal time, and selecting students to read. A survey of 360 teachers in England shows…

With evidence that formative assessment supports pupils' learning, it follows that that there is a need to develop student teachers' assessment competence. However, in some teacher education programmes, learning about pupil assessment is often relegated to a late stage. This can lead to student teachers' perceptions of assessment as an "add…

A drive for the development of European citizenship (EC) through Modern Foreign Language (MFL) teaching has existed for some time within the academic literature as well as policy institutions. Nevertheless, the views of MFL teachers on the role of MFL in developing EC have rarely been given a voice. This article presents the findings of a study…

This book explores the idea of "intercultural competence", which, despite its current popularity across various discourses, has remained a vague and oscillating concept. Interculture lacks a universal definition and "competence" is not only a cognitive construct but also includes psychological traits such as attitudes,…

Discusses changes in foreign language education. Revised version of a paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Chicago, Illinois, on November 27, 1971. (DS)

Outlines a mini-course in problem solving that is being given to teaching assistants in the language department at West Virginia University. (RL)

Reports on college and university foreign language teacher education programs. (DS)

SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THE TEACHING AND STUDY OF MODERN LANGUAGES IN HIGHER EDUCATION WERE SURVEYED, SUCH AS (1) DEGREES AWARDED IN 1958-59, (2) MAJORS ENROLLED IN THE FALL OF 1959, (3) AVAILABILITY AND USE OF LANGUAGE LABORATORIES, RESIDENTIAL HOUSES, AND PROGRAMS ABROAD, AND (4) CURRICULUMS AND STAFFING TRENDS. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE ADDRESSED TO…

Examines the question of the general decline of language instruction in various countries, suggesting possible reasons and remedies for the decline. (AM)