The status of foreign language instruction in American education is the focus of the introductory remarks in this paper. The role of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages; current enrollment trends in language programs; and trends in teaching methods, teacher education, and the job market are briefly examined. A prognosis of…

A case for inservice training programs for language teachers in public schools is developed in this paper. Key reasons showing the need for such programs focus on: the new teacher involved in team teaching, independent study programs, and individualized instruction; social and educational change; program articulation and coordination; and teacher…

The results of a questionnaire designed to investigate Puerto Rican students' attitudes toward learning English show that there is a predominantly positive attitude toward English-as-a-second language in the Puerto Rican town studied in this survey. The questionnaires solicit information from students in grades five through eight concerning…

Foreign language teachers are urged to consider the interrelatedness of language and culture and the importance of making cultural instruction an integral part of their program. Reasons for teaching culture and practical suggestions for the development of resource materials, based on practical experience, are developed. The newspaper is discussed…

Suggestions for improving undergraduate language texts focus on four areas of concern. The author recommends that: (1) texts carefully delimit and objectively specify their scope, (2) writing be personalized, (3) materials be contextually exciting and challenging, and (4) objectives be "goal-oriented." (RL)

Experimental courses in learning French were given to Anglophone public servants under the Lozanov method (suggestopedia) as adapted for use in a Canadian situational context. This book (an English-French bilingual edition) describes the introduction of suggestopedia to Canada and provides information on and clarification of the principles and…

This basic Olof course consists of a series of dialogues with drills, questions and improvised situations based on the real life experiences of Peace Corps volunteers in the Gambia. The teaching method is structured around choral repetition. backward build-up for difficult sequences, individual repetition, precise explanations of vocabulary, and…

This bibliography is part of a doctoral thesis entitled "Individualized Instruction: Its Effects upon Achievement and Interest in Beginning College Spanish," an evaluation of Purdue University's Paced Spanish program. The bibliography cites more than 140 books and journal articles on the theories and goals of foreign language teaching…

The fears and anxieties of students in second language learning situations often prevent successful performance in the language. Three techniques from Behavior Modification can be applied to overcome such anxieties and to further achievement in second language learning: (1) Systematic Desensitization; (2) Cognitive Restructuring; and (3) Modeling…

A program in beginning French is described in which an individualized approach to language teaching was used to achieve a high level of mastery and avoid grade bargaining by varying the time needed by students to achieve mastery. The same course structure was used to train language majors as teaching assistants. (Author/RM)

Discusses the developments in theory of applied linguistics and the state of its applications, actual and potential, in second language teaching. Programs in the United Kingdom are briefly summarized. (EJS)

This paper illustrates a method for teaching writing that focuses on both the grammatical and communicative aspects of writing. (CFM)

Recommends using crime literature in teaching English, for its motivational value. For classroom purposes, the originals must be revised. Specific problems are discussed, and a teaching procedure outlined. The adapted text of a crime story is added as an example. (IFS/WGA)

Discusses the theoretical foundation for sentence combining exercises for intermediate and advanced students in English as a second language (ESL) composition classes. A description is given of a three-stage sequencing of exercises, each successive stage corresponding to a less-controlled level within Paulston's framework of mechical, meaningful,…

A collection of interviews, articles, reviews and news notes of interest to teachers of French. The contents are: an interview with Marc Blancpain; reviews of instructional, cultural and reference materials; notes on items of current interest; and an annotated bibliography of reference, cultural and literary works, and recordings. (Text is in…