Proposes to integrate critical thinking and problem-solving into two existing international tests of business German (Prufung Wirtschaftsdeutsch International and Zertifikat Deutsch fur den Beruf), and to contextualize the tests' tasks in a more authentic business setting without compromising their content. Parallels are drawn with the American…

Discusses the meaning of the term "literature," surveying various definitions, and concentrating on the elements of "style" and "message". (AM)

Presents a learning transfer principle, based on transfer theory and contrastive analysis, as a solution to the inductive-deductive controversy in second language teaching methodology. (AM)

Reviews current foreign language teaching methodology as it concerns the organization of the lesson into phases, and presents an alternate phase-sequence entailing linguistic environment, application, remedial, monitor, and feedback phases. (AM)

This article presents a survey of textbooks for second-year college Spanish courses published in the last ten years. (CFM)

Outlines a lesson in a college Spanish class in which the students were shown the close relationship between Spanish and Portuguese. This kind of class not only makes the students more conscious of the relatedness of languages but also can stimulate their interest in studying another language. (CFM)

This article outlines the final lesson of a foreign language class based on the theme "Going Out," which provides a review of the entire course work and at the same time provides new vocabulary to the students. (CFM)

Suggests having foreign language students write business letters to stimulate interest in developing writing skills. This project gives the students the opportunity of travelling abroad vicariously and to collect souvenirs while improving their communication skills in the foreign language. (CFM)

Describes a technique used in an English composition course to encourage student experimentation with different language choices. The students are given a Chinese poem, along with a romanized pronunciation and dictionary translation of each character. They are then instructed to write a few sentences in English conveying the poem's message. (SED)

As the emphasis on global education continues to grow, students and teachers who are serious about hearing a second language on a routine basis should consider the acquisition of a shortwave radio. Broadcasts, edited with care and used creatively, have the potential of filling learner needs at various levels of instruction. (SL)

Describes a rating scale designed to provide a valid and practical evaluation instrument for testing communicative competence in French. Evidence from the application of this scale to actual test data and an analysis of its validation by means of native speaker judgments show that this method of evaluating student performance is effective. (SL)

A teaching approach to foreign language literary texts for introductory and intermediate levels consists of a three-phase sequence: 1) the preparatory phase provides linguistic activities and establishes comprehension; 2) the interpretive phase includes expression and exchange of student reactions; and 3) the synthesis phase provides for an…

Discusses techniques for helping second language students develop strategies for dealing with unfamilar words and long sentences in second language texts. (EKN)

Analyzes characteristics of Spanish language news broadcasts and discusses their peculiarities and discourse structure. A newscast that can be used in the classroom to improve students' listening comprehension is also outlined. (LMO)

Suggests foreign language teachers can use comparison of physical life in the relevant country with that in the United States as way to sharpen understanding of other cultures and encourage participation in foreign study programs. Uses Germany as an example. (Author/BK)