The Center for Applied Linguistics and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction conducted a 3-year teacher training project that aimed to improve the training of elementary school foreign language teachers at institutions of higher education. The components of the training model were based on the principle that, in order to be…

The evaluation of Utah State University's distance education course in French as a second language consists of two separate reports, one of the instructional materials used and the other based on a later site visit. Evaluation of instructional materials focuses on a commercially available textbook and related student workbook and audio tapes, an…

A program to provide New York City public school personnel with intensive language training, so they could serve in license-shortage areas, is evaluated. The program provided access to 6-week language immersion courses at four higher education institutions to improve oral and written language skills. Those eligible were teachers, guidance…

"Application Performance," a supplemental drill in the Japanese language program at Oregon State University, is described as a way to develop students' communicative competence. The approach is a type of role play, with pairs of students preparing a dialogue according to a situation provided by the instructor and then performed in class.…

Research suggests a widespread perception that language study in higher education is an end in itself, as the preservation of culture. However, in Australia, university second language programs have been designed for practical purposes, and increasing pressure is seen for instruction in languages for special purposes (LSP). The question of whether…

The proficiency-based German program in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University occupies an essential and integral but not central role in the overall foreign service program. It includes three years' instruction, in addition to the two years required for admission. Three levels are offered, and although students may take the…

The "VCCA Journal" presents feature articles, abstracts, teaching strategies, book reviews and announcements. The first issue of Volume 3 includes the following articles: (1) "The Alliance for Excellence: A Model for Articulation between the Community College and the Black Church," by Ervin Griffin; (2) "Traditional and…

This paper reports on an innovative five-day training program for foreign language teaching assistants (TAs) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW). The program developed out of a perceived need to train graduate students better for the teaching profession and to develop colleague support. In the UW program, the French and Italian, German,…

Interpreting, or oral translation, can be used in undergraduate second language study as a technique for developing oral skills. The technique can produce both sound linguistic judgment and confident oral and written performance that last beyond testing. It integrates four essential elements of oral/aural skills: comprehension, phonology/fluency,…

An examination of the principles and techniques of oral testing in British university-level final examinations in modern languages discusses: (1) the shortcomings of present oral testing procedures; (2) the theoretical controversy surrounding the design and value of oral proficiency tests, arising from research in English as a second language…

La Salle College's three-track Bilingual/Bicultural Master of Arts Program is described and its first operational year (September 1982 - August 1983) is evaluated. Track I served teachers of English as a second language, Spanish as a first language, and other classes within bilingual education programs. Track II served students from other fields…

Recommendations for designing a study abroad curriculum are offered to program directors, teachers, and study abroad leaders. The 13 essays and their authors are: "Study Abroad and the Liberal Arts: The Canon in Disarray" (Michael Kline); "Preparing for Study Abroad: Innovative and Traditional Library Resources" (Carolyn…

American study programs in China were assessed, based on interviews with American undergraduate or graduate students studying or doing research at various China institutions during the 1980-81 academic year and with Chinese administrators from the institutions. Four channels exist through which American students can arrange placement in China:…

The commercial Spanish courses at Eastern Michigan University, examinations in commercial Spanish, and cooperative education exchange programs are described, and the university's new programs that combine the study of foreign language and business are briefly addressed. A six-course sequence offered on the junior, senior, and graduate levels cover…

A technique to help English as a second language students master the basic elements of expository prose is considered in terms of course objectives and the types of assignments used to accomplish them. A characteristic of many highly verbal students entering a college program is their propensity to "talk on paper" in an informal, ungrammatical,…