Describes the Mount Washington German Magnet School in Kansas City, Missouri, a planned elementary (K-3) school that will provide students with the opportunity to participate in a German-English bilingual program. Parents choose either a total immersion or partial immersion program for students in this public, integrated school. (JL)

Suggests that the declining enrollment in German courses in the southern and western United States illustrates the need to promote German language education. Teaching assistants should be trained in public relations methods; a model is provided for including such training in existing methods courses. (25 references) (JL)

Reports on a descriptive study of German education at several Illinois high schools. Data collected through interviews, questionnaires, and the videotaping of classroom instruction are presented and analyzed. The implications of the data are discussed with regard to teaching German grammar, students attitudes toward learning grammar, and the use…

Argues for a progressive method of teaching German attributive adjective endings based on textbook analyses, other techniques, and tasks involved in processing these endings. The progressive method first presents the weak endings and introduces their cases, then presents strong endings as a special form of the der- words. (Author/JL)

Reviews the terminological, methodological, and pedagogical confusion present in the German textbooks of the past 15 years, and proposes an improved terminology for teaching 4 basic grammatical components: strong verbs, mixed verbs, declensions, and the subjunctive. The new terminology is based on the principle of rational simplicity. (21…

Describes the use of German television commercials in classrooms to break down cultural and social barriers between beginning German students and the culture of German-speaking peoples. Commercials, as a common cultural element, can be used to bring students through the early stages of studying a new culture. (JL)

Introduces classroom materials with which African American students who are studying German can identify. The article shows that contemporary German poetry and the work of African American poets in German translation offer many possibilities for exercises that speak directly to African American students at all levels. (25 references) (Author/CK)

Outlines the rationale for a multimedia application of the novel "Mathilde Mohring" and describes the structure of a multimedia program and the functions of its individual components, which includes a segment on the different editions of the novel, digitized motion video sequences and stills, and supplemental multimedia materials such as scanned…

Discusses the use of German literature in courses teaching cross-cultural management. The article argues that literature depicting society and culture promotes effective business interaction. It also attempts to clarify the benefits of using literary texts to supplement theoretical texts on international business. (26 references) (Author/CK)

Suggests that additional attention to the sequencing of the grammatical structures needed for receptive comprehension might alleviate the problems associated with first-year German textbooks. The simple past tense, word order, and the indefinite pronoun "man" are used to illustrate the concept of a receptive grammar. (14 references) (Author/CK)

Describes two projects promoting the exchange of essays between American students in intensive German language courses and German high school students. The article maintains that the easy availability of fax equipment in the United States and in Germany permits the use of this technology as a means of increasing the relevance of the writing…

Examines how the demographic values of foreign travel, previous foreign-language learning, major field of study, and other factors affect students' beliefs about the study of German. The article focuses on student-perceived improvement in the four skills and cultural knowledge, student motivation, and the expected contributions of teachers and…

Describes metacognitive processing strategies employed by nonnative readers of German who read and recalled authentic texts. Findings indicate that second-language readers of German engage in metacognition, using the following strategies: awareness of text format and attention to trivial detail, and an ability to monitor comprehension and identify…

Investigates how the various categories of the German spelling reform proposal will affect the acquisition of German spelling by native speakers of English. The article provides a history of the reform movement in Germany and discusses the pedagogical implications of the movement. (25 references) (Author/CK)

Outlines the mission of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) as it enters the 21st century. The plan is based on the belief that bringing the language and cultures of the German-speaking world to all Americans is an endeavor serving the national interest. The AATG seeks to foster excellence, promote access to German programs, and…