Describes the typical kindergarten day as experienced by one child in the German-speaking region of Switzerland. Illustrates the main goal of kindergarten as preparing children for school rather than teaching reading, writing, or written numeracy. Focuses on the oral language learning approach incorporating teacher- and child-initiated activities.…

Offers an annotated bibliography of articles, books, reports, and guides on the subject of English as a Second Language (ESL) programs in the community college. Notes that ESL programs have grown as more immigrants have settled in the United States. Includes 10 citations that detail changing programs and policies, curriculum and instruction, and…

Urges foreign language departments at colleges and universities to take advantage of what is new--student demographics, academic preparation, the position of the humanities in society--and regard it as an opportunity to rethink the curriculum. Provides a six-stage outline of the process, from taking stock of what faculty members and their fields…

Content-based instruction, a communicative approach to language teaching, is defined as a curriculum (1) that is based on subject matter, (2) uses authentic materials, (3) promotes the learning of new information, and (4) considers specific student needs. The Spanish and Russian content-area programs at the Foreign Service Institute are described…

An Italian program integrating second language instruction into the elementary school curriculum is described. The program is seen as a forward-looking effort but lacking in important cultural content. Discrepancies between objectives and classroom reality are discussed. (MSE)

Describes an innovative teacher education program that prepares elementary school foreign language teachers to work in immersion or partial immersion schools. The model's effects on other teacher preparation components and possible use by other institutions are also discussed. (Author/CB)

Examines the distinction between extrinsically motivated evaluation, which addresses the concerns of the bureaucracy, and intrinsically motivated evaluation, which addresses specific concerns of teachers and learners to improve aspects of ESL/EFL programs. An approach to evaluation is proposed that might satisfy both parties, using a current…

Discusses the effect that human relations have on the administration of college foreign language departments. It is argued that department chairs need to be aware of their responsibilities to administrators and faculty, establishing a blend of positive interaction within the department and respect for their leadership position. (three references)…

Examined the language and cultural attitudes of middle school students participating in a foreign language exploratory program. Some students participated in culture-related lessons that employed attitude-change theory. Results demonstrated that many students enter their first language class with misconceptions about language learning that may…

"Hungarolingua" is an audiovisual monolingual language teaching series developed by teachers of the Debreen Summer School (Hungary) to teach Hungarian as a second language to beginner and intermediate students. The experience of teaching the material to language learners with different motivation, native language, and grammatical…

Discusses the use of a reading and listening library in foreign language programs, allowing students to freely choose nonacademic reading materials and audiotapes to promote student interest in the target language. (contains two references) (MDM)

Urges English for academic purposes programs to devise more holistic, task- and text-specific, strategy-oriented approaches for reading instruction. Recommendations are given for selecting reading materials, defining criterion tasks, and providing strategy instruction in reading strategies. The promotion of learner independence and use of content…

Policy statements of the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages are presented for administration of foreign language departments; use of outside reviewers; and statement of good practice: teaching, evaluation, and scholarship.(LB)

The politicalization of curricular innovation in a state public school district charged with the implementation of Arizona's proposed State Board Rule of 1989 for introducing elementary foreign language in grades 1-8 is discussed. The district's use of existing resources, pilot year feedback, staff development program, and external partnerships is…

Examines the role of songs in Arabic as a foreign language university courses. It is argued that songs can be effectively used to impart knowledge of, as well as about, the target language in its standard and nonstandard forms and can help to place the target language in its cultural context. (10 references) (GLR)