FIVE EXPERIENCED TEACHERS VISITED 1,011 FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES, TAUGHT BY 747 HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS, TO STUDY THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF THE TEACHING. BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF SUCCESSFUL METHODS WERE REPORTED. THE REPORT INCLUDED DISCUSSIONS OF LOGS OF FOUR TYPICAL CLASSES, CLASS SETTINGS, LISTENING COMPREHENSION, SPEAKING, READING, AND WRITING…

A CONFERENCE WAS HELD TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE STUDY OF LANGUAGES OTHER THAN ENGLISH, FRENCH, GERMAN, ITALIAN, RUSSIAN, AND SPANISH. DISCUSSIONS WERE CENTERED ON (1) DETERMINING CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF NEGLECTED LANGUAGES WORTHY OF INCREASED STUDY, (2) SELECTING A LIST OF LANGUAGES MEETING THE CRITERIA, (3) A…

A NATIONWIDE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED OF MODERN LANGUAGE TEACHER EDUCATION CURRICULUMS. FOUR TYPES OF QUESTIONNAIRES WERE DEVELOPED FOR (1) LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES, (2) TEACHERS COLLEGES, (3) GRADUATE SCHOOLS OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, AND (4) GRADUATE SCHOOLS OF EDUCATION, AND ADDRESSED TO 1,058 OF THESE INSTITUTIONS. A TOTAL OF 758 REPORTED THAT THEY…

Transformational grammar is briefly defined in this paper, and some of the key literature on the subject is indicated. Examples of transformational operation on Spanish sentences are used to demonstrate how this approach makes the teaching-learning process easier and more efficient. (SS)

Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, Illinois, has developed a program for introducing Portuguese in the secondary school. The program is now in its sixth successive, successful year. Instead of being included in the curriculum as a full-time course, Portuguese falls in the category of an "enrichment course." It is abbreviated (the first year…

This course in spoken Serbo-Croatian is intended for use in introductory conversational classes. Book I in the two-volume series is divided into two major parts, each containing five learning units and one unit devoted to review. Each unit contains sections including (1) basic sentences, (2) word study and review of basic sentences, (3) listening…

The relative importance of content-oreinted teaching materials in German universities and public schools is examined in this survey of language textbooks and teaching methods. It is noted that despite a growing interest in structural linguistics at the university level, school grammars are primarily content-oriented and based on Hans Glinz's…

An outline for determining the language-learning needs of adults in Europe is developed in this model. A situational approach is prescribed which delimits the linguistic field and facilitates mastery of the subject area. The learning units, needs, motivations, educational objectives, and problems are discussed in the introductory section. A…

Student attitudes toward foreign language instruction are examined by means of an overview of 12 surveys conducted at high schools and colleges across the U.S. Findings indicate that students who are unsatisfied with their progress in learning a foreign language may have set unrealistic goals for themselves at the outset. Often they feel they are…

Several reasons for continuing to emphasize literature as the "humanistic heart" of language instruction are developed in this paper. The arguments proposed are based on the following observations: (1) college teachers of second languages are trained primarily to teach literature; (2) literary study is a significant kind of learning; and (3)…

Faced with a multitude of internal problems caused by the large number of languages and language dialects in India, linguists discuss ways and means by which language instruction might be improved. An intensive language course given at Kerala is described in several addresses and in short articles on language theory. Commentary on all aspects of…

Noting that seven-eights of the world's population does not speak English, the author cites reasons for requiring that students study languages and literature. He observes that if American students are to serve in the world effectively, they must be prepared for such service. Particularly emphasized in the author's reasoning is the notion that…

A two-semester terminal course in French, based on a text entitled "Cours Elementaire" by Dale and Dale, is articulated in this curriculum guide. The purpose of the course, which is designed for students who are not interested in completing a three- or four-year program, course content, general plan, and teaching strategies are examined. A plan…

Personal observations concerning the teaching of Pushkin at the university level focus on the disparity between modern poetry and classical Russian poetry. Urging lyrical authenticity in oral presentation, the author decries the inadequate standards of English of his students which deny Pushkin full justice in the reading. (RL)

A psychological experiment in which an ape manipulates colored linguistic symbols as a means of ostensibly learning a language suggests to the author that students, analogously, may be able to learn a foreign language by studying the use of linguistic elements in poems. Selected examples of Russian poetry illustrate the potential use of poetry in…