Foreign Language Recommendations of the President's Commission

Abstract

dent's Commission on Foreign Language and International Studies was active, I served as a member of its staff with responsibility for the coordination of its foreign language components and activities. My comments below are based on observations made during that year. The recommendations I list stem directly from draft versions of the Commission's final report. It must be understood that they do not pretend to be the report itself. Moreover, as a staff member, I most assuredly cannot speak for the Commission. As a foreign language professional, however, I know that my colleagues across the nation must become acquainted with the Commission's foreign language recommendations at the earliest possible date so as to be fully prepared for the work which lies ahead. The Commission's draft foreign language recommendations focus on a) improvement of the quality of foreign language teaching; b) development of language competency for both teachers and students; c) establishment of incentives for schools to introduce and/or maintain articulated foreign language sequences; d) development of national standards for language assessment; e) promotion of greater teacher interaction in order to develop an increased sensitivity to international perspectives; and f) development of greater public awareness of the need for foreign language study. Recommendation 1: The Commission recom-