bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Standard Sequence and the Non‐Traditional Methodologies
Authors: Lafayette Robert C. , Strasheim Lorraine A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Several non‐traditional methodologies have existed on the fringes of the profession for almost two decades. Of late, however, these approaches are receiving a great deal of attention, motivated, in large part, by the impetus toward proficiency testing and the research findings in second language acquisition.

While the professional literature is featuring more and more descriptive articles on the non‐traditional methodologies, either individually or collectively, what is needed is an assessment of how these methodologies address four major concerns in the profession today: 1) the provision of as stress‐free a learning environment as possible; 2) the emerging role of silence in foreign language learning and teaching; 3) the role of grammar; and 4) the development of students' speaking skills. In the process of analyzing some of the salient features of the non‐traditional methodologies and postulating how teachers can utilize their handling of the four concerns identified, what emerges is some perspective as to what the impact of the non‐traditional methodologies upon the standard sequence can and should be.
Computer Simulation in the Teaching of Translation and International Studies
Authors: Brecht Richard D. , Noel Robert C. , Wilkenfeld Jonathan
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This article describes the National Simulation in International Studies and Translation (NSIST) Program. While centered at the University of Maryland, NSIST links international studies and foreign language programs at a number of universities throughout the United States and abroad. It is intended to strengthen these two fields by talcing advantage of the natural symbiosis which exists between them. Computer‐assisted simulation is the mode in which communications in multiple languages flow among country‐teams at various universities. The language student is provided with a natural context for the otherwise purely academic exercise of translation, while students of international politics enjoy an authenticity of experience as they are forced to deal with the consequences of negotiations being conducted in foreign languages through translators and interpreters.
Designing Basic Programs for Special Needs Plus General Proficiency
Authors: Guntermann Gail
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Students who begin the study of a foreign language in college are typically placed together in an omnibus course, regardless of individual professional and educational aims. This paper recommends that the basic courses be restructured, with separate tracks for students pursuing language study for differen t purposes. Three possible tracks are outlined: one for language majors, another for students preparing for international professions, and a third for students who need to fulfill the expectations implied by a language requirement. The Languages for International Professions Program at Arizona State University is described as an example for the preprofessional track
Communication Apprehension in the ESL Classroom: Getting Our Students to Talk
Authors: Lucas Jenifer
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Communication apprehension, or the fear of oral communication, can be a problem in every classroom. In foreign languages, especially English as a Second Language (ESL), it can be catastrophic. This article defines the problem of communication apprehension and its effects on teaching ESL. The second half of the paper focuses on the specific problem of Japanese ESL students and their communication apprehension. Finally, a number of classroom techniques designed to alleviate the fear of communication and to promote and practice communication are given and explained. Teachers of other foreign languages will see parallels between student anxiety, confidence, and cultural awareness in the ESL classroom and those found in their own classes. Many exercises for ESL students are also appropriate for other foreign language students.
Interacting with a “Living Workbook”
Authors: Meléndez Gloria S.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This article discusses one of the videodisc‐microcomputer projects which have been designed and implemented at Brigham Young University. This is the first project which was developed and used here, described from the point of view of one who took part in its conception, design, and development and then was able to use it in the classroom. The project showed demonstrable positive results and was enthusiastically received by the students who used it. The system is here described, as are the results observed.
Practical Implications of Recent Research in Reading
Authors: Phillips June K.
Published: January 2009

“… It was really a very nice appetizing bit of pischa they'd laid out on the tray—two or three lomticks of like hot roast beef with mashed kartoffel and vedge, then there was also ice‐cream and a nice hot chasha of chai. And there was even a cancer to smoke and a matchbox with one match in it.”
Applying Schema Theory to Foreign Language Reading
Authors: Melendez E. Jane , Pritchard Robert H.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  In this article, reading is considered to bean interactive process in which the schematic information a reader possesses for the topic of a given text is as important to adequate comprehension as the information presented on the printed page. When reading in a foreign language, understanding of that language's accompanying culture enables students to approach reading topics from the appropriate cultural perspective. Several classroom activities are described for use before reading, while reading, and after reading.
Building Enrollment Through Curriculum Change: The Implementation of a Comprehension‐Based Program in Spanish
Authors: Long Donna R. , Pino Cecilia , Valdes Guadalupe
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This paper describes the implementation of a first‐year comprehension‐based Spanish language program that has been in operation at New Mexico State University since the summer of 1983. It includes a discussion of the history of the program and of the problems that were encountered in changing a traditional curriculum. It also includes a detailed description of the materials produced for the program, of classroom practice, and of the testing and evaluation component.
Foreign Language Teaching and the Computer
Authors: Garrett Nina , Hart Robert S. , Mellgran Millie Park
Published: January 2009

This is the fifth column in a series presenting reviews of foreign language software and discussions of problems and perspectives in foreign language computer‐assisted instruction (CAI). We are eager to receive materials for review, and to hear from Foreign Language Annals readers experienced in foreign language CAI who would be interested in submitting reviews to this column. We also invite suggestions of problems or topics on which future discussions might focus. Send items of interest to the above editors at: Language Learning Laboratory, University of Illinois, G 70 Foreign Languages Building, 707 South Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801.
Developing a Proficiency‐Oriented Curriculum at the Secondary Level
Authors: Cole Charlotte , Miller Floy
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Given the many real constraints imposed on secondary teachersand the feelings of some that they lack sufficient background to become highly involved in curriculum development, teachers, who are key to curricular success or failure, often do not assume active roles in the curriculum development process. A recent experience in a small Massachusetts community demonstrates that this need not be the case.
RSVP: Classroom Oral Interview Procedure
Authors: Brown James W.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Designed as a proficiency measure, the ACTFL/ETS Oral Interview requires modification order to be used in the classroom. The global ratings must give way to a classroom‐oriented scale; the evaluation must yield information useful to both student and instructor; the content must reflect the material under current study; and the test procedure must make allowances for student anxieties. The “RSVP” pilot here described uses a modified OI procedure, easily administered, with a forced mode scale reflecting a descending hierarchy among the four skills tested: Response, Structure, Vocabulary, and Pronunciation.
A Hierarchy Of Russian Writing Assignments
Authors: Rosengrant Sandra F.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article examines the implications of the ACTFL Provisional Proficiency Guidelines for the writing curriculum. It argues that the functions identified in the Guidelines should be practiced in writing as well as in speech. The issue of error correction technique is discussed and examples of writing assignments that elicit advanced‐level functions (narration and description) are included.
A Survey of Teacher Concerns
Authors: Cooper Thomas C.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The ACTFL/SCOLT (Southern Conference on Language Teaching) Task Force on Research in Foreign Language Education recently conducted a national survey of foreign language teachers, chairmen of outstanding high school programs, and state foreign language coordinators and consultants to find out from them what their most pressing questions were regarding foreign language learning and teaching. Of the many issues raised by survey respondents, the top ten were the following: 1) testing and evaluation, 2) promoting and maintaining interest in foreign language study, 3) language learning theory, 4) developing oral proficiency among students, 5) program development, 6) dealing with multi‐level classes, 7) integrating instructional aids (especially videotapes and computers) into the classroom routine, 8) teaching culture, 9) the student as learner, and 10) techniques for including partner and group work in instruction. As a follow‐up to the survey, the task force is presently working on a report that will consist of research‐based answers to many of the questions posed by the survey respondents.
Clinical Supervision and the Foreign Language Teacher
Authors: Abbott Suzanne , Carter Ralph M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The use of clinical supervision in the foreign language classroom may be a way to make the supervising teacher's comments more meaningful and helpful to the student teacher. A contract is made between the student teacher and the supervisor; the latter uses a prearranged format to analyze the student's performance and to give written feedback to be used in later discussion. Only one teaching skill is to be analyzed at a time. After that skill has been taught, both the supervisor and the student teacher evaluate the performance, and they discuss ways to improve the presentation and to make changes as needed. This article lists the teaching skills which may be considered in constructing a contract, it presents a sample contract sheet, and it gives an example of an actual situation.
A New Curriculum for New Purposes
Authors: Rivers Wilga M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT To prepare for the new surge of interest in foreign languages which is rising across the country, classroom teaching needs to be upgraded. However, with the same old content this will not be sufficient. Five directions foreign language programs can take are outlined with recommendations for classrom teaching: linking foreign languages with international studies; teaching language for career purposes; for intercommunity understanding; for an insight into the process of communication; and, finally, as the key to humanistic experiences. Courses must be designed to attract and retain students, according to the needs of particular school districts. Imagination and willingness to innovate are essential.
Foreign Language and International Business: The MIBS Program after Ten Years
Authors: Gillespie Kate , Folks Austin William R.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This paper reviews the progress of the Master in International Business Studies program at the University of South Carolina after ten years. After a brief description of the unique interdisciplinary business‐area studies‐foreign language curriculum of MIBS, the paper focuses on the role that foreign language components play in the professional development of MIBS students and graduates. Based on a survey of 271 program graduates (60% of the alumni), it is shown that approximately 93% of graduates take positions with firms involved in international business. Some 75% find that their initial position has international responsibilities. Some 70.1% of the respondents rated their foreign language ability as very important or important in obtaining their initial position, and 61.6% rated language skills as very important or important in performing their duties.
Formal Introductions in the Foreign Language Class
Authors: Garrison David
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT While some courses may be taught by lecture, a foreign language class requires constant dialogue. To promote this dialogue, teacher and students need to get acquainted early in the course. One way to do this is by having the students introduce one another formally to the class in a brief speech. This approach involves four steps: 1) The teacher presents the vocabulary. 2) Students conduct interviews to obtain the necessary information. 3) The introductory speeches are delivered, and the teacher evaluates them. 4) The material is reinforced as the speeches are written out for a grade. This lesson offers a practical vocabulary and immediately challenges people to use the target language. It causes the students some anxiety, but ultimately helps them feel at ease and at home in the class.
Incorporating the Language Laboratory into the Classroom at the Advanced Level
Authors: Allar Gregory W.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Studies on second language acquisition seem to indicate that listening and reading activities play a far more significant role in the development of fluency in a foreign language than do oral drills. In the early stages of language learning, assignments in the language laboratory complement classroom instruction with drills designed to reinforce grammar and develop linguistic competence. Upper division offerings, on the other hand, rarely coordinate language lab materials with classroom instruction. The technique outlined in this paper draws on the use of a wide variety of recorded language materials in conjunction with a structured format for developing fluency at the advanced level.
Dialogue Journals: A Way to Personalize Communication in a Foreign Language
Authors: Popkin Debra
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Student journals have been widely used to encourage self‐expression in elementary school classes and in English as well as ESL courses at the secondary and university levels. In an effort to individualize (eaching, foreign language instructors can also use journals to carry on a continuous dialogue with each student. The instructor writes comments about the topic that the individual student has chosen and also corrects vocabulary, grammatical, and idiomatic errors after each journal entry. These “dialogue journals” are ideal for personalizing communication in foreign language courses and can be used on elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels. This article explains how to implement “dialogue journals” in a typical second‐semester French class, where, with the help of a diary, students can apply recently acquired grammatical structures and idioms to express their own concerns and interests. Students gain self‐confidence and freedom of expression by writing informally about topics that are of personal interest to them. The journals are a perfect supplement to the artificial dialogues and standardized reading passages of many foreign language textbooks. Practical guidelines for journal assignments are provided, and sample journal entries illustrate how successful the results can be.
Tours of the Community as Part of the Conversation Class
Authors: Petronio Vivetta G.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The Interactive Tour Schema (ITS) is based upon the theory that the artificiality inherent in most conversation class situations is imposed by the classroom setting rather than by any particular method. Accordingly, classes using the ITS approach are freed from the classroom once or twice a week for excursions into the community, where student guides simulate at a historical or cultural site the relationship naturally existing between a guide and the tourists who make use of his or her services.

The student guide's talk provides a natural basis for interaction: questioning and discussion involving the entire class, thus improving language skills and fluency. The content of the on‐site talk also provides an unstrained means of comparing and contrasting American culture with that of other countries. Using the foreign language in this dynamic setting lends credibility to the concept of language as a tool for living.
Getting Them All into the Act: Using Audience Participation to Increase the Effectiveness of Role‐Play Activities
Authors: Horwitz Elaine K.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Foreign language teachers often use role‐play and simulation activities to encourage spontaneous language use in the classroom. Although these activities are a useful tool in developing student communicative competence, they have several inherent problems which can limit their effectiveness. Typically, three or four students act out a scene while the rest of the class watches. The majority of the class, therefore, has no active role in the activity.

This paper describes several organizational strategies designed to increase the level of audience participation in role‐play and simulation activities. By giving non‐performing students a specific task during a role play, they become more involved in the experience, and the time devoted to these activities becomes more productive and more enjoyable for all students.
Language, Literature, and Curriculum Revision in the 1980's
Authors: Parsons Robert A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT After an examination of the difficulties students face in making the transition from skills acquisition courses to the study of literature in college foreign language programs, and a brief review of suggestions offered in other articles that address the problem, this paper proposes the creation of a series of courses that emphasize the continuing development of both functional, communicative skills and analytical tools needed for the study of literature. These courses would be rotated on a threeor four‐year basis, thereby providing students in language departments with limited faculty resources with the option of remaining in this type of course for the duration of their college careers, or advancing to courses that concentrate solely on literary concerns.
Assessing Ethnic Beliefs Beforehand
Authors: Murphy John H.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT To achieve the behavioral objective of developing positive attitudes toward an ethnic group, the instructor must first ascertain what entry beliefs his students have. This study sought to create an easy method for establishing the rank order of beliefs about Germans. Forty‐nine high school subjects, using selfreport, generated a final scale of twenty‐three statements.

Two themes dominated the scale: forgiveness of the past German generation and tolerance for the present one. Some old stereotypes disappeared. Follow‐up analysis of individual beliefs revealed inaccurate cultural and historical in formation and prejudice among subjects. Implications for instruction are that German teachers need to address the strong interest in the history of the Nazi period and to update political misconceptions about Germany.
A Novel Approach to Spanish America: A Course for All Seasons
Authors: Kooreman Thomas E.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This article describes the development, implementation, and resulting evaluation of a non‐credit introductory course in the Spanish American novel. The materials and lectures, all based on texts in English translation, were prepared with the specific objective of stimulating interest among students with diverse backgrounds. Favorable reception of the course as part of the Elderhostel Program for 1983 suggests that it could be used in a variety of contexts as a means of promoting enrollment in traditional foreign language classes.
The Foreign Language Classroom: A Forum for Understanding Cultural Stereotypes
Authors: Heusinkveld Paula R.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT All foreign language educators agree on the importance of including the study of culture in a foreign language course. However, the methodology for teaching culture lags far behind recent innovations in foreign language teaching itself. Too many culture courses emphasize only the rote memorization of cultural “facts” and fail to help students acquire the sensitivity to understand deeper cultural values.

This article proposes a series of practical classroom activities designed to increase cross‐cultural sensitivity. The first exercises help sharpen students' awareness of their own (U.S.) cultural background. Subsequent activities focus on differences between U.S. culture and the target culture. Foreign photographs and advertisements are used to teach students to observe and interpret cultural differences. Students interview foreigners to gain a new perspective on U. S. culture. Use of any or all of these activities in the classroom should heighten cultural sensitivity, discourage stereotyping, and develop cross‐cultural adaptation skills.
Using Student Beliefs About Language Learning and Teaching in the Foreign Language Methods Course
Authors: Horwitz Elaine K.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT Prospective foreign language teachers enter the methods class with many preconceived ideas about how languages are learned and how they should be taught. These beliefs can directly interfere with their understanding of and receptivity to the information and techniques presented in the methods class. This paper describes two instruments for eliciting student beliefs about language learning and teaching, the Foreign Language Survey (FLAS) and the Beliefs About Language Learning Inventory (BALLI), and reports on typical responses of methods students to the BALLI. The discussion of the instruments and the student responses illustrate the kinds of beliefs students may hold which can inhibit their learning. It is suggested that a systematic assessment of student beliefs would increase student learning and satisfaction in the foreign language methods class.
French for Specific Purposes: The Hawaiian Experience
Authors: Bénouis Mustapha K.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Curriculum development in foreign languages for specific purposes in Hawaii, as on the mainland, encounters various difficulties: programmatic priorities, enrollment quotas, administrative requirements and a negative or indifferent public perception. In spite of these obstacles, however, a Buiness French course was initiated at the University of Hawaii a few years ago. Its success, coupled with recognition by state officials and academic administrators, brought about the initiation of similar courses in other languages and the development of French for Travel Industry Management majors. The Hawaiian experience in this area of language education points to the necessity of reevaluating existing curricula, introducing innovative offerings, and instituting frameworks for collaboration between administrators, language departments, and professional schools. It also indicates the need for exploring other areas of application which might broaden the students' competitiveness and employment opportunities not only at the local level, but also in the national and international markets.
Languages for Travel Industry Managers: Focus on Japanese
Authors: Hijirida Kyoko , Iwamura Susan Grohs
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: The choice of a major in travel industry management frequently is based on an interest in people from different countries. Paradoxically, however, courses on the languages and cultures of potential travelers are seldom included in degree programs in management. This paper describes courses that were developed to correct this omission at the School of Travel Industry Management. Four target languages were chosen: French, Spanish, Japanese, and Mandarin.

The development of the language program is discussed, with the courses in Japanese receiving special attention. The significance of the cultural component of the courses is explored. Among the questions which had to be answered were those addressing the characteristics of both the home culture (France, China, Japan, Spain, Latin America) and the natives of these countries when they travel abroad. Since our students are training to be managers, they need to know how to talk with management personnel as well as tourists.

This paper explains the type of background information that was collected prior to developing materials for the first‐ and second‐year Japanese courses. It shows how this information suggests which language structures and vocabulary items will be taught and how the teaching materials should be designed. The professors who designed the courses were concerned with developing an awareness of the crucial role of language and culture in the potential for success of any business venture.
The Business Alcove: Library Resources for Students of Commercial French
Authors: Fairchild Sharon L.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Foreign language teachers have developed commercial foreign language courses partly in response to recent reports and studies that have deplored the lack of foreign language competence among Americans, especially those involved in international commerce. Large corporations consider foreign language and international studies skills as a tool to be used with functional business knowledge. Commercial language courses should foster the linkage by including practical exercises that improve students' business knowledge. The two research assignments described here were designed to develop some business skills in a junior‐level commercial French course.

The assignments require students to use reference works available in the business section of the library. As a result of their work, students become familiar with business concepts such as corporate organization, economic sectors, and financial worth. They also gain competence in reading and interpreting business publications. The use of directories of multinational corporations reinforces the vocabulary and concepts learned in class. The article includes an annotated bibliography of references containing information on multinational corporations that are used by business students as well as businessmen and ‐women.
Spanish for Special Purposes: Communication Strategies for Teachers in Bilingual Education
Authors: Merino Barbara J. , Faltis Chris
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Teaching the elementary curriculum in a bilingual classroom requires the ability to use Spanish technical vocabulary in math, science, art, music, and social studies. The course, Communication Strategies for Bilingual Teachers, gives student teachers in bilingual education the opportunity to learn technical vocabulary and develop teaching skills in Spanish. Science experiments, art projects, and playing musical instruments all figure as classroom activities. A desciption of the rationale and development of the course with sample activities to illustrate the format of the class is the focus of this report.
Recent Trends in Support by Private Foundations for Foreign Language Education
Authors: Dandonoli Patricia
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: The National Endowment for the Humanities provided support to ACTFL to conduct an analysis of the type of support provided by private foundations for foreign language education. Under the special NEH program that funded this project, no new data were to be collected; rather, the study was to be based on analyses of existing data resources. Using the Foundation Center's Grants Index as the primary source of data, ACTFL developed several categories for analyzing and reporting results.

The study revealed a total of 340 grants made in support of foreign language education during the 1973–1984 period, with support totaling $14,983,347. Eighty‐three supporting foundations and 178 recipient organizations were identified. The summary report that follows presents the highlights of the study.
Foreign Language Teaching and the Computer
Authors: Pederson Kathleen Marshall , Garrett Nina , Hart Robert S. , Mellgren Millie Park
Published: January 2009

This is the seventh column in a series presenting reviews of foreign language software and discussions of problems and perspectives in foreign language computer‐assisted instruction (CAI). We are eager to receive materials for review, and to hear from Foreign Language Annals readers experienced in foreign language CAI who would be interested in submitting reviews to this column. We also invite suggestions of problems or topics on which future discussions might focus. Send items of interest to the above editors at: Language Learning Laboratory, University of Illinois, G 70 Foreign Languages Building, 707 South Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801.
El intérprete: A Pair Activity to Promote Communicative Competence in Spanish
Authors: Homstad Alice
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: This article describes the underlying constructs in the research, purpose, and implementation of an original classroom/language laboratory activity to promote creative inter‐student communication. The materials were developed with an eye toward lowering the affective filter and concentrating on the message to be communicated. An added benefit is entertainment, even occasional laughter, on the part of students. The activity has been used during the second year of university instruction but could also be included in the high school curriculum.
Beloit College's Ten‐Day Foreign Language and Culture Program: The Director's Perspective
Authors: Street Jack D.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: A two‐year grant from Pew Memorial Trust permitted Beloit College to offer a ten‐day foreign language and culture program in August 1985, for the purpose of encouraging new students to study a foreign language and its culture. Ten languages were taught. The program was scheduled just before the beginning of the 1985–86 academic year, so that students could enroll in a regular language course immediately after the program. At the end of the ten days of instruction, students and senior instructors turned in written evaluations of the program. Over 94 percent of the student participants indicated the program had met their expectations.
Culture and Commerce in France: An Anthropological/Sociological Approach
Authors: Normand Guessler
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: This article describes a course designed primarily, but not exclusively, for students in the undergraduate program in the College of Business, and includes a discussion of the interdisciplinary nature of the course, its objectives and organization, as well as its application in internationalizing the business curriculum by focusing on how business practices and approaches are shaped by culture. The approach used in the course can serve as a model for all languages. Moreover, heavy enrollments and favorable evaluations of the course suggest that it has the potential for promoting interest in foreign language classes.
English for Academic Listening: Teaching the Skills Associated with Listening to Extended Discourse
Authors: Anderson‐Mejias Pamela L.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Many ESL and bilingual students at our universities face problems in the transition from “special” programs, in which they listen and interact in settings with trained language specialists, to university courses, in which they are taught by professionals in other areas.

Research in discourse analysis has acquainted us with the need to view language as it is actually used before developing materials to teach its usage. This article presents a brief review of literature available to most ESL professionals regarding the skills associated with listening, and provides an overview of one successful approach.
Open Your CLOZEd Minds: Using Cloze Exercises to Teach Foreign Language Reading
Authors: Meyer Renée , Tetrault Emery
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Various types of cloze‐like exercises are effective integrative tasks that allow students to operate meaningfully on authentic foreign language materials. The incomplete texts can be used as part of a general sequence of reading activities in class, several examples of which are included here.
The Relationship Between Anxiety and Foreign Language Oral Proficiency Ratings
Authors: Young Dolly J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) has developed an oral proficiency test, the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), which may become the official test of oral performance for prospective foreign language teachers in Texas. Professionals in foreign language education are raising concerns about the effect of anxiety on Oral Proficiency Interview ratings. The purpose of this study was to provide an assessment of how anxiety may influence scores on the OPI.

An examination of the relationship between anxiety and oral performance must take foreign language ability into account. In this study, subjects' foreign language proficiency was assessed through a Self‐Appraisal of Language Proficiency questionnaire and a dictation test. Subjects' anxiety was assessed on the basis of four independent anxiety measures: the State Anxiety Inventory, the Cognitive Interference Questionnaire, a Self‐Report of Anxiety, and a Foreign Language Anxiety Scale of Reactions.

A total of sixty subjects took the OPI at the University of Texas at Austin, Southwest Texas State University, or the University of Texas at El Paso. These subjects were either majors in French, German, or Spanish or prospective French, German, or Spanish teachers at one of these three institutions. The Self‐Appraisal of Speaking Proficiency and the State Anxiety Inventory were administered before the OPI, and the other anxiety instruments were given immediately after it.

Results showed significant negative correlations between anxiety and the OPI, but once the effects of ability were accounted for, the correlations were no longer significant. In other words, once the effect of an individual's language proficiency was accounted for, oral performance no longer decreased as anxiety increased.

An important qualification that must be noted is that subjects were aware that the OPI in this study represented an unofficial administration of the test. Therefore, this study does not provide data on anxiety levels for official test situations.
Authentic Language and Authentic Conversational Texts
Authors: Rings Lana
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Although there is a trend to advocate the use of authentic texts in the foreign language classroom, a consensus regarding the criteria determining textual authenticity has not been reached. Instead, researchers often provide varying, sometimes conflicting definitions as to what comprise authentic materials.

This paper draws on research in discourse analysis in an attempt to determine text authenticity through text type authenticity and provide implications for classroom materials. A text may be considered a spoken or written verbal unit, and a text type may be described as a specific type of spoken or written unit. Thus, for example, the text type “textbook conversation,” written by textbook authors for the purpose of teaching specific structures, can probably not be defined as the text type “authentic conversation,” in which native speakers engage in speaking for purposes other than to teach their language. In addition a ranking of types of conversational texts, from most to least authentic, provides a scale by which to judge the value of materials used in the classroom.
Strengthening the Language Requirement at the University of Minnesota: An Initial Report
Authors: Arendt Jermaine D. , Lange Dale L. , Wakefield Ray
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT: Early in 1983, the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota embarked on an investigation of its foreign language requirement for the BA degree. After nearly a year of public hearings and deliberations, the Task Force appointed by the dean determined the then current language requirement to be inadequate and recommended the establishment of an entrance standard as well as the strengthening of the graduation requirement. In March 1984, the College of Liberal Arts Faculty Assembly approved the Task Force recommendations with only a few minor revisions. The key concept in both the entrance standard and the graduation requirement is proficiency, using the ACTFL Provisional Proficiency Guidelines. Since the publication of the Guidelines is relatively recent and since there were only a few certified testers for the ACTFL system, it was first necessary to hold a workshop to train Minnesota secondary and collegiate teachers. The first workshop was held in June 1984. Thirty teachers were trained, ten each for French, German, and Spanish. Shorter workshops were held during the 1984–85 academic year to plan the implementation of proficiency testing for speaking, reading, listening, and writing in French, German, and Spanish. The testing instruments for listening, reading, and writing were drafted in June 1985 and will be used for pilot‐testing during Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters in 1985–86. In Spring 1986, all secondary school seniors planning to enter the College of Liberal Arts in Fall 1986 will be tested for proficiency according to the ACTFL Guidelines.
Experiential Techniques that Promote Cross‐Cultural Awareness
Authors: Sadow Stephen A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Experiential techniques, some of which take only a few minutes of class time, can help make students aware of what culture is and how it functions. These activities may take the form of structured in‐class activities dealing with non‐verbal and other culture‐bound behavior, or out‐of‐class activities in which students observe and interact with the target culture. Structured class visits by native informants and field trips to ethnic neighborhoods provide other means for direct contact with other cultures. An interdisciplinary course in cross‐cultural awareness based on experiential techniques can expand upon work done in language classes; a model for such a course is provided here.
German Language Study at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library
Authors: Teasley Martin M.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Presidential libraries are normally viewed as academic research centers used by graduate and post‐graduate historians and political scientists. A recent field trip by a high‐school German language class to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library demonstrated that such archival repositories may offer rich resources for the creative foreign language teacher.
Foreign Language Teaching and the Computer
Authors: Garrett Nina , Hart Robert S.
Published: January 2009

This column presents reviews of foreign language software and discussions of problems and perspectives in foreign language computer‐assisted instruction (CAI). We are eager to receive materials for review, and to hear from Foreign Language Annals readers experienced in foreign language CAI who would be interested in submitting reviews to this column. We also invite suggestions of problems or topics on which future discussions might focus. Send items of interest to the above‐mentioned editors at Language Learning Laboratory, University of Illinois, G 70 Foreign Languages Building, 707 South Mathews, Urbana, IL 61801.
Latin and Language Arts: An Update
Authors: Mavrogenes Nancy A.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT This report reviews the status and results of Latin instruction in the elementary grades (FLES Latin). Since the flurry of interest in this topic in the late 1970s, several changes have been made. For one thing, some programs have been cut due to decreased funding. In order to counteract lack of funds, the current trend is to train teachers from other fields to teach Latin. Such programs in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and New York City are described herein. Other changes are that innovative funding methods have been tried, promotional activities have increased not only by classicists but by others as well, and the field of classics has been revitalized. Thus FLES Latin is seen today as being in a precarious but good position. The idea has spread, results are still promising, and publicity has been flourishing. Further improvements can assure that this lively approach continues to strengthen the nation's language arts programs.
Preliminary Impressions of the Effects of a Proficiency‐Based Language Requirement1
Authors: Freed Barbara F.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  The last few years have seen a proliferation of articles on proficiency‐based instruction. To date, however, there have been relatively few publications which provide results and describe the effects of proficiency‐based programs. The purpose of this article is to provide some preliminary data, thoughts, and impressions on the effect of the proficiency‐based foreign language requirement instituted within the last five years at the University of Pennsylvania. The observations are divided into four general categories: effects on the faculty; effects on teaching assistants (training and attitudes); effects on the curriculum (materials and methods); and effects on students (proficiency test scores, oral interview and CEEB correlations, attitudes and motivation). The findings and observations suggest that important and valuable changes have taken place in the language learning/language teaching environment but caution is urged in the need to create realistic and well understood standards rather than an emphasis merely on proficiency and testing.
The Multi‐Language Seminar: An Approach to Offering More of the “Less Commonly Taught” Languages
Authors: Denver Terry L. Marshall
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article proposes the “multi‐language seminar” as a format for teaching a greater variety of languages at the high school and college level. The seminar uses in‐situ exploration as its primary instructional technique. In the seminar, roles and activities of students and teachers differ strikingly from traditional foreign language instruction. It assumes active involvement of the target language speaking community in instruction, and new sources of classroom materials. The article spells out major implications and suggests how the seminar can be implemented.
Does a Scientist Need Foreign Languages?
Authors: Crosby Glenn A.
Published: January 2009

Glenn A. Crosby (Ph.D., University of Washington) is a professor of chemistry and chemical physics at Washington State University, Pullman. This column is based on his address at the 1985 joint conference of the Washington and Oregon Associations of Foreign Language Teachers in Tacoma, WA.
Utilizing Proverbs as a Focal Point to Cultural Awareness and Communicative Competence: Illustrations from Africa
Authors: Richmond Edmun B.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  Foreign language teachers often insert proverbs into courses in order to impart cultural awareness to their students. However, these proverbs are usually randomly selected and randomly placed into the course content. In certain languages this becomes a major concern, because proverbs are a prime vehicle of communication in many cultures. Proposed in this article is a model of target‐ and native‐language proverb comparison which can be used to assist proverb analysis in the language curriculum. This study uses examples from the West African language, Mandinka.
Beyond Prescription: The Student Teacher as Investigator
Authors: Gebhard Jerry G. , Gaitan Sergio , Oprandy Robert
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  In preservice foreign/second language teacher preparation programs, prescriptions about how to teach have certain limitations. The most outstanding is that direct transfer of information does not necessarily afford student teachers chances to gain insight into how they can investigate their teaching processes and make decisions about what they can do in classrooms after the teacher preparation program has ended.

In this paper we present a multiple‐activities approach to teacher preparation through which student teachers are provided with opportunities to investigate their teaching and to make decisions about what and how to teach. In this approach student teachers experience classroom teaching, observe other teachers, conduct investigative projects of their teaching and its consequences, and discuss teaching in several contexts.

A multiple‐activities approach has been shown to provide student teachers with opportunities to develop their decision‐making skills. However, communication within these activities is complex and opportunities for student teachers to develop decisionmaking skills can be blocked as well as facilitated through the type of interaction which goes on within and across each activity. Thus, in our discussion we are sensitive to interaction within each activity and to the connections which can be made between them.
From Research to Pedagogy: What Do L2 Reading Studies Suggest?
Authors: Zvetina Marina
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  In the past ten years, numerous articles have been published which examine various aspects of both the L1 and L2 reading task. In an effort to make research‐based techniques more accessible to the second‐language teacher, this article takes as its goals: (a) the brief summary of popular perspectives on the L1 reading process; (b) the presentation of pertinent studies of L2 reading; and (c) the analysis of these studies for their pedagogical implications. Current research results offer many suggestions for the teaching of L2 reading, which can be organized into three categories: (a) the organization of prior knowledge during the pre‐reading phase; (b) the development of metacognitive skills during the reading act; and (c) the careful selection of texts to be read by L2 students.
The Intercultural Communication Course: A Response to the Carter Commission's Call for Increased Citizen Education in International Affairs
Authors: Sacco Steven J.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  This article describes a course designed to increase the intercultural communication skills of American postsecondary students. Activities include readings and movies illustrating cross‐cultural conflicts; application of the Gudykunst and Kim model to a crosscultural case study; panel discussions; and a cultural simulation. Suggestions are provided for adopting the course or parts of it in the foreign language or general education curriculum.
Computer‐Controlled Random Access Audio in the Comprehension Approach to Second‐Language Learning
Authors: Henry George M. , Hartmann John F. , Henry Patricia B.
Published: January 2009

ABSTRACT  A microcomputer controlling a random access audio device is a practical method for providing flexible interactive practice in foreign language listening comprehension. The audio passages available at a given point in a lesson are determined by the lesson author, and can include hints, translations, cultural notes, and slower re‐recordings of natural language segments. The particular audio segment played can be determined by the student's response at the computer keyboard. In addition to more traditional drill or tutorial lessons, two innovative lesson types are described: the “interactive story” and “hyper‐speech.”
Confessions of a High School Language Teacher or Why I Never (Used to) Read Foreign Language Annals
Authors: Eykyn Lollie Barbare
Published: January 2009

Home at 4:30 after grueling day of five classes, three levels, evaluations, 15‐minute lunch shared with hall duty, after‐school remediations, detentions, lesson plans, and run‐in with parent. Drag body into kitchen for a chocolate chip cookie I will regret later, drop into chair to stare into space. No Newsweek or Good Housekeeping so I pick up Annals. Flip through for something of interest.