As we enter the twenty-first century,questions of language and communications have never been more strongly posed. To celebrate the 'century of langauge' this book deals with recent advances in modern languages teaching and learning across Europe. Individual chapters examine the developments in teaching methodologies over the past one hundred years and the theoretical advances in our understanding of how languages are learned. The example of Communicative Language Teaching is used to illustrate the principles and purpose of learning a second language. The need for combining the content and form of language learning in a much more integrated fashion is set out; for example, teaching a curriculum subject through a foreign language. Individual national case studies show how these developments have been applied in a range of cultural contexts. Content and Language Integrated Learning is illustrated with reference to pedagogic, cultural, and political issues. Practical materials are included in order to show what Modern Languages Across the Curriculum looks like in practice.
There is also a chapter dealing with the implications of this approach to second language learning for teacher education, both in initial and in-service training. The book covers issues of policy and practice, method and rationale and deals with the 'state of the art' in teaching and learning modern languages across the curriculum.