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…

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…

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)

Describes Emory & Henry College's adoption and succesful use of the Dartmouth method based on attraction of students to program, retention of students, enthusiasm of college community and improved performance of students when compared to proficiency of students in simultaneously taught traditional courses. (Author/BK)

Discusses an introductory course in basic conversational Spanish that raised enrollment. It is noted that the course interested students who desired a basic knowledge of spoken Spanish and those students who feared failure in regular courses. It was found that some students later enrolled in regular courses. (Author/AMH)

Several innovative language programs currently offered at some junior colleges were described at a panel discussion. Vancouver City College offers a special course for drama students, which teaches pronunciation and foreign accents in English. Clackamas Community College offers a secretarial course in Spanish or German, and other interdisciplinary…

Some of the possibilities for taking language learning and instruction into the larger classroom of the school, the community, and the world are considered. Programs conducted within the school or college campus but outside of the usual classroom include intensive language courses and interdisciplinary courses. A step farther from the traditional…

Results of a survey of 234 schools, placing special emphasis on the role of linguistics and the recommendations of linguists in their language programs, are presented. A questionnaire gathered information on the number of class meetings per week, the length of class time, the number of students per section, and whether class materials were…

An experimental first-year German program at the University of Texas is described. The course builds on and extends psychologist James Asher's Total Physical Response strategy and is based on five principles: (1) presenting language as communication in context; (2) teaching recognition before production; (3) postponing demands for error-free…

A norm-referenced evaluation system, which evaluates the student in comparison to his peers, is rejected in favor of a criterion-referenced system. The latter, which rates the performance of a student on an absolute standard, makes for an individualized approach. Two kinds of tests are distinguished, the formative, administered during the course…

This paper describes the experience of setting up a computer assisted learning (CAL) program, the implementation of the program, and the way it is currently being integrated into the curriculum. The CAL program was developed by a team that included a subject specialist, specialists in computer applications and instructional design, a computer…

Explains how traditional materials available to most teachers can be a point of departure for a program which focuses on communicative competence and suggests ways of incorporating computer programs, slide/sound presentations, and conversational activities into the curriculum. (EKN)

Describes experiment at Trinity College in Dublin in teaching Russian to future language teachers with objectives of sensitizing future teachers to problems of language learners and research. (BK)

Describes the University of Tennessee's experimental program for teaching French to children, using videotape, by teachers with no knowledge of the target language. Rationale, goals, and teaching techniques are described for the generally well-received program. (Author/CB)

The foreign language teaching situation in community colleges is discussed. Foreign language teaching in community colleges tends to be demanding due to the limited curriculum of such institutions, limited enrollment in foreign language courses, and the heterogeneity of the student population in terms of career goals, educational preparation, and…