Describes a fifth-semester university course in German in which students analyze the stylistic features of the language and its function in specific cultural contexts, such as films, speeches, songs, and newspapers. The course is conducted entirely in German and focuses on a single stylistic theme each week. (SED)

Discusses whether the goal of language proficiency is reasonable or even possible given the language textbooks available. Examines the description of the French language in college-level French language textbooks (all of which take a structural approach) to see if they lend themselves to the acquisition of a functional speaking ability. (SED)

A study investigated the writing strategies used by English as a second language (ESL) students in writing electronic mail (e-mail) messages, and to what extent certain ESL teaching variables influenced students' use of writing strategies. Subjects were 16 ESL teachers and their 208 university students. Students were administered a 50-item…

The development of a second-year college French language course based on principles of communicative competence and the notional-functional approach is described. Although spoken language is the primary focus of the course, it is also designed to cover a broader range of writing skills than the traditional college language course. (MSE)

The task for those recognizing the importance of foreign language and international studies is to demonstrate to Americans why it makes economic and political sense to invest part of the defense budget in the tools necessary to help Americans talk to, understand, and trade with the rest of the world. (MSE)

A worldwide survey of 89 institutions teaching languages at a distance was undertaken to learn of alternative delivery systems and teaching methods (textbooks, workbooks, audiocassettes, radio, television, and others). Skills taught are compared with program components at Canada's Athabasca University. (MSE)

Conferences and workshops in which secondary school and university foreign language teachers discussed communicative competence, foreign language in the business world, and classroom activities are described. These and other programs sponsored by the University of Toledo promoted foreign language learning, teacher interaction, and the university's…

The negotiation and legitimation of academic values are explored through a discussion of a university foreign language department's definition of foreign language requirements, curricular and instructional needs and methods, and staff requirements. The instructional staff's lack of power in defining the program limited their ambition and…

Communication-based teaching techniques are described that lead German language students from input to output in a stimulating and motivating learning environment. Input activities are most useful for presenting speech acts, vocabulary, and grammar; output activities, for fine-tuning those areas as well as for expanding students' productive…

A discussion of enrollment variability and faculty hiring in college second-language departments looks at issues in how institutions handle staffing policy, graduate student admissions, offering graduate students a realistic picture of postgraduation employment prospects, and the master-apprentice relationship of the faculty member and graduate…

Because most language teaching in China is focused on national tests, language is treated as a knowledge subject and development of communicative abilities is often ignored. This article describes activities that one English-as-a-Foreign-Language teacher used to teach oral English to university students in China. (Author/VWL)

Describes a curriculum development research project that took place in the French section of the Department of Modern Languages of the University of Salford in the United Kingdom over a 10-year period. The curriculum is motivated by three interacting theoretical perspectives on how languages are learned at an advanced level.(Author/VWL)

In recognizing the need for internationalization, many universities and colleges in the United States are making great efforts to internationalize their institutions in order to prepare their students to live and work in the global society of the twenty-first century. This study examines different institutional responses to the need for…

Second language acquisition research has led to a major emphasis on the need for learners to experience the target language (TL) in use if they themselves are to become users of the language. At the same time, there is discussion of the role of the first language (L 1) as a tool in the processing of language/culture experiences. Achieving optimal…

It is argued that a functional-notional syllabus is practical and useful for second language instruction at the college level. It constitutes a natural progression from secondary school curricula that emphasize communication in that it uses the same basic organization and similar categories. However, it differs from them in that it pays particular…