Motivated by attrition in French immersion programs in Canada, a study was undertaken of the perceptions of French coordinators, helping teachers, school principals, and French immersion teachers in British Columbia (Canada) school districts regarding the attrition rate and students' reasons for leaving immersion. The research differed from…

This paper describes the development and implementation of an intensive summer course in English as a Second Language (ESL) designed for children aged 4-5. Planning included development of a curriculum and instructional materials based on theory and practice in the teaching of young children, English language learning and instruction, and…

The cognitive aspect of second language learning, specifically by immersion method, is discussed from a biological perspective. The approach taken is that of "connectionism," a recently-developed theoretical and experimental approach to human cognition. It is argued that while general cognitive functioning is unaffected by language immersion,…

Locally developed language and culture programs are those that are developed and authorized by local school jurisdictions. This document presents a curricular framework from which program developers can build a language curriculum that meets the needs and reflects the philosophy of the linguistic community they serve. It also stresses the value of…

This paper addresses questions and concerns of Head Start staff who strive to develop and implement programs to meet the needs of preschoolers who are linguistically and culturally different. The first concern addressed is the educational rights of children whose primary language is not English, and the nature of language assistance programs…

A questionnaire and interview survey of the coordinators of seven Texas institutions investigated the organizational structure and curricular focus of university intensive English language programs. The institutions included Dallas Baptist University, North Texas State University, Texas A&M University, Texas Wesleyan University, the University…

Educating limited-English-proficient students (LEP) in the nation's public schools is an unmet educational need with national impact and a history of minimal compliance with Federal laws. The Lau v. Nichols decision of 1974 placed responsibility on school districts to ensure that LEP students were identified and provided with a language response…

Recent writing theory, research, and pedagogy have aided in the development of several models for improving second language writing skills. Attention is focused more on writing as a process, the importance of practice in writing improvement, and the need to learn cognitive structures contributing to writing. Daily journal writing is one method of…

The Australian Language Levels (ALL) Project offers a coherent model for elementary and secondary language curriculum design. Book 2 of the four-volume series elaborates on each of the major features of the ALL Project proposal for language curricula outlined in Book 1, focusing on the syllabus, suggesting possible content at different…

Since the enactment of the 1958 National Defense Education Act, funded universities have provided African language instruction at the postsecondary level. With an increased interest in the less commonly taught languages (LCT) demonstrated by the 1988 Foreign Language Assistance Act, several African Studies Center universities provide instruction…

Proceedings of a seminar on the role of communication skills instruction as part of English language training (ELT) offered through British technical assistance and economic development programs are presented. They take the form of speeches, case study summaries, and reports of group discussions about each case study. Speeches include:…

This paper is about a teaching program that was developed at a school in Alice Springs, a small town in Australia that has influenced teaching programs for Aboriginal children in that country. At Traeger Park school, the Aboriginal children speak English, although the speech of many children is characterized as Aboriginal English dialect. The…

Policy and planning concerning the minority languages of immigrants are discussed, focusing on three countries receiving many immigrants: England, France, and Germany. First, similarities and differences in the immigration histories of the three countries, and in their policies concerning education of immigrants, are examined. Then policy…

A study examined university students' beliefs about the availability and content of Spanish courses designed for heritage speakers. Subjects were 50 students in three classes at Arizona State University and the University of Arizona, who were administered a questionnaire on student demographics, prior Spanish language instruction or instruction in…

The model course content standards for foreign language instruction in Colorado's public schools, K-12, provide guidelines, not curriculum, for school districts to design language programs. An introductory section presents some basic considerations in program design. The two general standards for foreign language performance are that: (1) students…