Russian and Soviet studies specialists see long-term threats to the field's continuing strength with the sudden decline of private and public funding. Some potential problems are identified: narrowed language offerings, declining enrollments, and a history of politicization in Soviet studies. The use of Soviet emigres is advocated. (MLW)

Describes a summer intensive advanced German language program at the University of Texas at Arlington that has been conducted since 1975. Discusses course organization, teaching methods, class activities, testing, and the success of the program in terms of increasingly higher achievement ratings. (MES)

Analyzes and criticizes the most prominent characteristics of current college language programs. On this basis, sketches a language program model featuring emphasis on linguistic rather than literary scholarship and on non-European rather than European languages, integration with international studies disciplines, and close cooperation between…

Projects in which university students of Spanish develop their language skills by serving as tutors to Spanish-speaking students in elementary and junior high schools are described. The university students develop and teach mini-courses in Spanish in their disciplines and offer health, nutrition, and consumer information courses to the community.…

Suggests that in college second language teaching, teachers and administrators view the classroom as a place where computers are resources for teachers and students alike, and teachers and learners work side by side taking advantage of electronic teaching materials. This requires that teachers design appropriate tasks and that department heads…

Summarizes results of a survey of Arizona State University education students, graduates, and teacher supervisors concerning the experience of language teacher trainees and the need for change in the training process. A program model designed to respond to that need is described, noting both barriers to and prospects for real change. (MSE)

Discussion of governance in college foreign language departments focuses on the conflicting views of faculty about: the nature of language; intellectual justification, position, and role of foreign language studies in American higher education; goals, purposes, and approaches for language learning in an instructional setting; and governance…

Current and aspiring teachers of college Spanish need an awareness of how and why the language and dialects are used in real-life contexts, and to understand the value of the variations as well as that of standard usage. Training of teaching assistants and language teachers should include basic notions of sociolinguistics, including the functions…

Discusses the teaching of Spanish to native Spanish speakers, looking at the history of the field and the experiences of bilingual students. Suggests that while bilingual educators and Spanish language teachers may see themselves as quite different from each other, their students may perceive their classes as similar. Reference is made to a study…

The program used by French-language teachers at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland) to develop software for students' independent study is described, and the process of creating an interactive exercise is illustrated. The ease and flexibility of authoring is highlighted. (MSE)

Reflects on the five-year growth and development of a foreign language and literature collaborative among universities, school districts, and a foreign language association. The collaborative has succeeded in establishing educational priorities, offering diverse and popular seminars, administering teaching fellowships, and addressing new…

Briefly describes a four-semester Spanish language program focused on developing listening skills, and explains, in detail, the design of the final listening examination. The listening comprehension levels developed by 196 students in this program are evaluated. A sample student test and sample of level and complexity of language heard are…

Describes the projects of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education's (ASHE) Foreign Language Consortium, established through federal funding in 1985 to enhance teacher training programs. The impact of the Consortium on foreign language instruction in Alabama is discussed. (Author/CB)

Poorly trained teachers, a very diverse population, heterogeneous grouping, and a milieu that is not particularly supportive of language education in general make the Greek universities a poor environment for instruction in languages for special purposes, including French, which has the second largest enrollment among languages. (Author/MSE)

A University of Texas, Austin, French course that uses dramatics as a focus for language practice and cultural awareness is described. Relaxation, movement, group dynamics, and interpretation of the text area are all seen as contributing to the language-learning experience. (MSE)