The integration of language and culture should be a priority for language teaching and learning in the coming decade. College-level second language instruction should include discussion (but not mastery of) such related aspects as dialects, heuristics, jargon, and social/class differences in pronunciation and language use. (CB)

Discusses the response of Hope College (Michigan) language departments to shifts in language enrollments, particularly the rise in Spanish enrollments and declines in other languages. Strategies include using the smaller classes as an opportunity to enhance the teaching-learning environment and make those courses more attractive, placement…

Discusses opinions toward foreign language (FL) departments on the college campus. Points out that while there is support for the learning of foreign languages, questions arise about whether knowing a language other than English is necessary, even in the climate of globalization and internationalization. Outlines steps for achieving excellence in…

A teacher reflects on the development, teaching, and subsequent modification of a course on French women writers, and makes a case for the teacher to take the role of learner and collaborator in learning. The need for such a course for those studying the French language and culture is discussed. (CB)

A review of the literacy crisis in U. S. education and of attempts to resolve it. Recommends three concepts that are important for language study: (1) language learning is hard work; (2) language is genuine knowledge; and (3) every language reflects the cultural outlook of the society that created it. (AMH)

Discusses the use of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages Oral Proficiency Interview for assessing the effect of study abroad on foreign language learning, and provides a detailed account of the use of the Portuguese Speaking Test as a means of assessing participants of a summer program in Brazil. (15 references) (JL)

Discusses the predominance of English in the world, but suggests that while more and more people are speaking English, a greater number of people around the world are learning other languages, leaving Americans behind. Points out that academics need language to move beyond a narrow context for intellectual exchange. (Author/VWL)

Focuses on the career opportunities available at community colleges for graduate students. The article describes the focus, curriculum, and ambience of the typical two-year college. It is concluded that an overriding requirement for teaching in these institutions involves not lesson plans or learning strategies but individual motivation. (two…

Focuses on a single type of faculty member, the language program director, giving an account of the responsibilities involved, credentials, and status in the tenure system. As cultural and textual content become more important in introductory courses, and as attention to language learning is emphasized throughout the upper levels of the…

Shows how the language laboratory can become a primary point of convergence for the foreign language department. Discusses how the language laboratory at one college gained momentum as a support for collaborative learning, curricular reform, and study abroad, resulting in greater visibility for the foreign language department on campus and…

Honors Dan Davidson, winner of the ADFL Award for Distinguished Service to the Profession, by discussing his contributions over the past three decades in shaping the course of Russian language learning, Russian studies, and international education in the United States. Davidson has shown exemplary leadership and vision and has given new meaning to…

Examines the relative importance of teaching and scholarship in academia. The article scrutinizes the reasons for requiring academics to combine research and teaching and argues that scholarship and teaching are inextricable parts of the larger process of learning. The article concludes that good teaching must accompany the constant quest for the…

To prepare college students for the global marketplace, language learning must be more fully integrated with the liberal arts. This means rethinking the relationship between language competency and the study of languages and literature. Literature in the target language should be studied at the advanced level, because this offers students a chance…

Discusses how study of French language and culture has increasingly become integrated into introductory language sequences and advanced undergraduate study. The study of the new France, with its cultural and linguistic diversity expands the possibilities for research, teaching, and learning. Interests in French-speaking cultures within and outside…

Recommends a less Eurocentric view on second language learning, suggesting that French and German, and even Spanish, must give way to other world languages. This will involve reallocating resources among adjacent institutions so a variety of languages can be taught at the secondary and collegiate level, thus creating students competent in many…