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GLOBAL ISSUES IN LANGUAGE
EDUCATION NEWSLETTER
June 1999 - Issue No. #35 (p.4)

Abstracts of global education articles from language teaching journals

The following abstracts summarize articles on global issue topics found in professional language teaching journals.

Le fran¸ais langue étrangère montera-t-il dans le train en marche de la didactique scolaire?

[Will French as a Foreign Language Take Advantage of Developments in School Education?]

Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris III, France)

Études de linguistique Appliquée. No 111. Autumn 1998

In this article, written in French, the author takes a critical look at the field of French as a Foreign Language (FFL). In the first part of the article, he sketches the history of French as a Foreign Language and argues that FFL, with its narrow focus on linguistic problems, materials development and preparing teachers to "apply" those materials in prescribed ways, has neglected wider social and educational issues. In the second part, he gives a historical overview of the teaching of national and foreign cultures in the French school system, and of the teaching of French abroad, and examines the ideological, political and religious factors which influence the various teaching approaches adopted.


Differential Effects of Linguistic Imperialism on Second Language Learning

by Arlene Clachar (Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, USA

International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism. Vol 1. No 2. 1998

This article explores how Americanisation and Russification differed in terms of their imperialist language policies and how these policies led two colonised societies, Puerto Rico and Estonia, to respond in different ways to the pressures to learn English and Russian, respectively. While English in Puerto Rico has a high status and a positive image, only 20% of the island's population claims fluency in English. In contrast, most Estonians became fluent Russian speakers despite less favorable attitudes towards Russians. The author sees this as due to factors such as linguistic tolerance vs. linguistic hegemony, instrumentalities of control vs. non-totalitarianism, and the reality of Russian and English control over local industry and the mass media.


What's the Subject of Study Abroad? Race, Gender, and "Living Culture"

by S. Talburt (Georgia State Univ.) & M. Stewart (W. Kentucky Univ.)

Modern Language Journal. Vol 83. No 2. Summer 1999.

In this article, the authors review the research on study abroad programs as a means to develop students›?foreign language skills, cultural knowledge and international awareness. They argue for the need to devote course time to helping students better understand their out-of-class experiences during their study abroad in the foreign country. They specifically argue that course work needs to look at issues of race and gender when examining the differing experiences of students overseas. As an example, they describe how an African-American student in Spain, because she was black and a woman, faced constant sexual comments from Spanish men and developed a negative image of Spanish culture as a result.


Special Issue of JALT's monthly magazine: The Language Teacher

Teaching World Citizenship in the Language Classroom

The Language Teacher. Vol. 23. No. 2. Feb. 1999

The February 1999 issue of The Language Teacher, the monthly magazine of JALT (Japan Association for Language Teaching) focusses on the theme of Teaching World Citizenship in the Language Classroom. This issue features a wealth of articles, resources and classroom activities for language teachers interested in helping their students become active world citizens of our global village. Articles include:

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Kip A. Cates, Tottori University, Koyama, Tottori City, JAPAN 680-8551
E-mail: kcates@gilesig.org Work Tel/Fax: 0857-31-5650
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