This detailed guide is for new teaching assistants (T.A.'s) teaching elementary French at the college level. Individual sections address the following topics: (1) the first day of class (including forms to be distributed to students); (2) written exams (policies regarding contributions, exam procedures, and corrections); (3) oral exam of the…

Describes two programs for adult learners, Weekend College and Learn and Shop. Weekend College offered credit courses on Saturdays and Sundays; Learn and Shop used employee training rooms at five major shopping centers. Statistics on both programs are given as well as a description of the Spanish Department offerings and reactions. (AMH)

Five directions foreign language departments should explore in the 1980s in order to revitalize their programs include uniting foreign language and international studies, cross-cultural studies, teaching process of communication, career preparation, and language for humanistic studies. (BK)

Provides background information on Halloween and its celebration in North America, along with suggestions for student- and teacher-initiated activities for classroom use. The material and activities may be translated or adapted to various target languages in foreign, second, or bilingual education programs. (MDM)

Examines major principles and characteristics of cooperative learning, various instructional approaches, and the findings of cooperative learning studies in elementary and secondary schools. The relationship between cooperative learning and language learning is discussed. An annotated bibliography is included. (46 references) (LET)

The growth of KFL (Korean-as-a-Foreign-Language) programmes in the US college setting has been truly remarkable in the last three decades. However, despite the gradual and steady growth of the non-heritage student population, the predominant group has been heritage students in most KFL programmes. In addition, teaching these two groups of students…

This article gives the reasons for, and the history of, the conceptualization of intensive French. The major characteristics of core French and French immersion are reviewed, giving the principal advantages and limitations of each program. The findings of empirical research that most directly affect the development of communication skills are…

The purpose of this study is to contribute to the existing literature on the foreign language learning of students with LLDs by conducting a comprehensive investigation of the performance of three students in middle school foreign language classes in a suburban school district in southwestern Pennsylvania. More specifically, this study documents…

To prepare learners for successful communication is nowadays one of the main goals of teaching practices of lecturers of English as a Second (ESL) or Foreign (EFL) language in the University setting. Consequently, language teaching needs to focus not only on linguistic or strategic aspects of the target language, but also on the development of the…

Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) sees discourse as a form of "social practice", in which language use is seen at the same time as socially influenced and influential. Another characteristic of CDA is that it is engaged and committed; it intervenes in social practice and attempts to reveal connections between language use, power, and ideology. The…

Some of the teaching practices of 10 foreign language teachers in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area are reviewed in this study of second language (L2) instruction. Focus is on how idioms are taught in university German foreign language courses, which textbooks and reference materials available in the German and English fields highlight…

A report is presented of work in syllabus construction and language planning in Finland from the middle of the 1960s to the present. An introductory chapter describes Finland's parallel educational systems, which provide for speakers of the two official languages, Finnish and Swedish, and for instruction in the other national language as well as…

THE FIRST PART OF THIS CURRICULUM GUIDE FOR SUPERVISORS AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS OF ITALIAN IS DEVOTED TO AN EXPLANATION OF THE PHILOSOPHY, OBJECTIVES, COURSE CONTENT, AND METHODS OF TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. IN THE SECOND PART, THE TOPICS TO BE TAUGHT ARE DEVELOPED IN DETAIL. EACH TOPIC FOR THE FIRST, SECOND, AND…

Discusses the importance of paying attention to the psychological and emotional needs of students as learners in a group in order to promote more effective second-language learning. (EKN)

Reports on survey of beginning German at colleges and universities in the U.S. Results show grammatical knowledge is most important objective followed by speaking, listening, and reading comprehension, cultural awareness, then writing. Results indicate growth within the profession. (BK)