PROJECTS CONDUCTED IN A SAMPLING OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS HAVE PROVIDED A POSITIVE ANSWER TO THE CONCERNS OF MANY COMMUNITIES OVER THE VALUE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS (FLES). THE RESEARCH PROVED THAT (1) EVEN THOUGH TIME HAD BEEN TAKEN FROM OTHER SUBJECTS, AVERAGE FLES PUPILS GENERALLY PERFORMED AS WELL AS OR BETTER THAN…

LESSON MATERIALS FOR THE TEACHING OF NORWEGIAN WERE PREPARED FOR ELEMENTARY AND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS BY A GROUP OF SIX TEACHERS OF NORWEGIAN DURING A WORKSHOP HELD AT UCLA IN THE SUMMER OF 1966. THE SET OF 40 LESSONS FOR ELEMENTARY GRADES THAT WERE PRODUCED IN MIMEOGRAPHED FORM WERE PREPARED FOR THE USE OF CHILDREN WHOSE PARENTS OR…

The Foreign Language Innovative Curricula Studies (FLICS) was a three-year curriculum development project sponsored by Title III of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The emphasis of Title III was upon innovative and exemplary programs which could be used to develop and demonstrate curriculum constructs most needed in various areas of the…

Assuming that multilingualism is a precondition for cross-cultural sensitivity, discusses ways to introduce foreign languages into the primary school. These are (1) by integrating the language with other subjects; (2) by teaching it as a discrete subject; and (3) by teaching it in a bilingual program. (SED)

Describes a FLES experiment in Dobbs Ferry, New York elementary schools. (DS)

A poll of the various West German state Culture Ministries revealed that 24,000 students in Grade 5 were taking French as their first foreign language; 14,000 took French in the primary schools (first four grades). The report is helpful in considering further FL offerings. (Text is in German.) (IFS/WGA)

An elementary school foreign language teacher reflects on her first year and a half of being a Spanish foreign language in the elementary school (FLES) teacher. Highlights challenges, frustrations, and positive aspects of the job. (Author/VWL)

Presents a school board presentation on the benefits of early foreign language learning. The presentation included success stories of students who began learning foreign languages at the elementary level. (Author/VWL)

First the author discusses the question of the most propitious age for beginning the learning of a second language. He then describes the experimental FLES curriculum of the State of Baden-Wurttemberg and analyzes its results to date. (Text is in German.) (TL)

These observations on exploratory courses are drawn from the experiences of two communities in which college students were the instructors. In one program, fourth and fifth graders had the opportunity to study Spanish, French, or German in programs located at several sites throughout the city. In the other program, sixth graders studied a foreign…

A major change currently being implemented in the curriculum of Italian primary schools is the introduction of the compulsory teaching of a foreign language. Now that the richness of dialects are recognized as an Italian resource, a foreign language will be a third language for many children. (MT)

Considers the teaching of French in elementary schools in Great Britain a success because the classes are taught by regular classroom teachers, not specialists; the methods are flexible; and, a variety of materials is used. (DS)