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The purpose of this study is to better understand conditions for foreign language (FL) learning in Sweden. Research suggests that foreign language learners benefit from informal target language (TL) exposure and use outside the classroom (e.g., Peters, 2018; Sundqvist, 2009). While studies conducted in a Swedish context show that there are rich opportunities to come in contact with the English language outside the classroom, little is known about the learners’ extramural exposure to and use of other FLs. In analogy with the term ‘Extramural English’ (Sundqvist, 2009), this study explores ‘Extramural French’. The study includes 59 university students enrolled in a French language course. Using the survey method, we investigated the participants’ engagement in Extramural French (frequency and type), and the relationship between language learning motivation, self-assessed proficiency, and frequency of Extramural French. The results showed that about half of the sample engaged in Extramural French on a relatively frequent basis. The most frequent extramural activities included listening to music, watching TV and films, and browsing online. About a third of the sample had regular access to social interaction in French. In addition, language learning motivation increased the likelihood to spend time on Extramural French activities. Overall, the study provides insights into the conditions for FL learning in a Swedish context.

This article investigates how the disciplinary discourse on the contemporary state of foreign languages in universities hastily refers to these disciplines as being in ‘crisis’. This practice is nearly as old as the Humanities itself, and has been employed periodically since at least the 1940s. Despite a period of increasing foreign language enrolment in the first decade of the twenty-first century in Australia, calls of ‘crisis’ came from across the languages sector. In tracing the use of the term ‘crisis’, we show how the sector has long been characterised by such alarmist terminology, even when reality suggests otherwise. The article traces this usage in the recent disciplinary discourse in foreign languages. A topical report of the Australian Academy of the Humanities, which shows increased language enrolment over the period 2002-11, leads one to believe that things at universities may not be as bad as first thought. This finding has implications for language enrolments not just in Australia, but around the world.

An overview is given of the past and present activities of our group in the field of chemical biology. Thus, the polymer of 3-hydroxybutanoic acid (PHS), which is omnipresent in living organisms, triggered our search for a better analytical method for detecting PHB and our syntheses of oligomers of 3-hydroxyalkanoic acids (OHSs). Also, the regulation of DNA replication by poly(?-malic acid) (PMA) in certain eukaryotes inspired synthetic work on the corresponding cyclic and open-chain oligomers. With these oligomers we not only tested the mechanisms of depolymerases, but were able to study the properties and activities of well-characterized compounds (also with isotope and fluorescence labeling). The role of PHS as component of ion transport systems through phospholipid bilayers was unambiguously established, and models for the channel structure were proposed. Replacement of amino acids by 3-hydroxybutanoic acid residues in peptides and replacement of the chain-bound oxygens in OHB by NH paved our way into the world of ?- and ?-peptides, the synthesis and physiological and pharmacological properties of which are being investigated. ?-Peptides are stable to peptidases, have a long lifetime in mammalian serum and are rather resistant to environmental microbial degradation. The peptides consisting of homologated (?) or doubly homologated (?) amino acids form stable secondary structures in solution (helices, turns, sheets) which can be used as scaffolds for peptide mimics, such as a ?-tetrapeptide with affinity to a somatostatin receptor or a ?-nonapeptide that inhibits intestinal lipid-transport protein (SR-BI) in Caco-2 cells. Certain ?-peptides have antibacterial, antiproliferative and haemolytic properties. The lessons from studies of ?- and ?-peptides teach us about the central role of natural ?-peptidic proteins.

Includes the following reviews: pp. 100-102. Göran Kjellmer. Hill, J. & Lewis, M. (eds), Dictionary of Selected Collocations. pp. 102-103. Ann-Marie Svensson. Lass, R., Historical linguistics and language change. p. 103. Monica Malm. Cixous, H. & Calle-Gruber, M., Rootprints: Memory and Life Writing. p. 104. Paul Goulding. Storry, M. & Childs, P. (ed.), British Cultural Identities. p. 105. Ronald Paul. Young, G., From Sea to Shining Sea: a present-day journey into America's past. pp. 105-106. Monica Malm. Coupe, L., Myth. pp. 106-107. Nathaniel Chase. Modiano, M., A Mid-Atlantic Handbook. American and British English. p. 107. Alan McGee. Bowen, T., Build Your Business Grammar. pp. 107-108. Alan McGee. Comfort, J., Effective Socializing. pp. 108. Alan McGee. Mackenzie, I., Management and Marketing. pp. 109-110. Edelgard Biedermann. Besch, W., Duzen, Siezen, Titulieren: Zur Anrede im Deutschen heute und gestern. pp. 110-111. Stefan Neuhaus. Cumart, N., Zwei Welten. Gedichte. pp. 112-113. Stefan Neuhaus. Fontane, T., Englischer Sommer. pp. 113-115. Hans-Roland Johnsson. Brown, F., Zola, A Life. pp. 115-118. Karl-Anders Arvidsson. Le Nouveau Petit Robert électronique. pp. 118-120. Gabriella Villagrán Backman. Foster, D.W., Mexican Literature: A History.

Includes the following reviews: pp. 102-103. Anne Marie Bülow-Møller. Björk, L. & Räisänen, Ch., Academic Writing. pp. 103-105. Lennart Björk. Fjellestad, D. & Wikborg, E., Reading Texts: An Introduction to Strategies of Interpretation and Reading Texts: Teaching Suggestions. pp. 105-108. Hans Lindquist. Svartvik, J. & Sager, O., Engelsk universitetsgrammatik (med övningsbok). pp. 108-110. Allan Shima. Bennet, A. & Royle, N., An Introduction to Literature. pp. 110-112. Joe Trotta. Rothenberg, J. & Joris, P. (eds), Poems for the Millenium. p. 112. Wendy Henningsson. Lubbers, K., Born For The Shade. pp. 112-114. Stefan Neuhaus. Reimann, B. & Wolf, Ch., Sei gegrüßt und lebe. pp. 114-115. Ingrid Neumann. Opitz, S. (Hrsg.), Interkulturelle Kompetenz Skandinavien-Deutschland. pp. 116-118. Karl-Anders Arvidsson. Binon, J., Van Dyck, J., Folon, J. & Verlinde, S., Dictionnaire contextuel du français économique, tomes A-D. pp. 118-120. Ken Benson. Navajas, G., Más allá de la postmodernidad.