A survey identified sources of anxiety among 135 beginning college Spanish students and 109 high school students. Results suggest that speaking in the foreign language is not the exclusive source of anxiety. The teacher's relaxed and positive error-correction attitude can reduce anxiety among students greatly. (36 references) (Author/MSE)

Examines reliability of seven mathematical abilities tests among Spanish- and English-speaking pre-algebra Hispanic students. Students tested in divergent thinking, general reasoning, field-dependence, math achievement, math prose reading, syllogistic reasoning, and word problems. All tests reliable for Spanish speakers; only four for…

Finds that, among 2100 Hispanic elementary students in a four-stage bilingual program, primary language achievement, instructional level, and oral English performance were important indicators of English reading achievement scores and readiness for reclassification to an all-English program. Contains 17 references and 9 tables. (Author/SV)

Discussed is the 1986 NAEP data on understanding and using basic science facts. Suggests using observing, measuring, and hypothesis testing as supplements to traditional instructional methods. The use of this technique is urged for Black, Hispanic, and female students to compensate for the lack of outside experiences noted in the NAEP findings.…

A discussion of language policy formation and planning in Mexico focuses on its multilingual/multicultural character and covers the following: turn from national integration to ethnic revival; indigenous successes following the Declaration of Patzcuaro; some problems and solutions regarding the current bilingual/bicultural education policy.…

Examines strategies students use while performing a listening comprehension task and the relationship between strategy use and listening ability. Eighty-three students registered for first-, second-, third-, and fourth-semester Spanish participated. The first-semester students scored the highest and the second-semester students, the lowest on…

Comparison of the listening comprehension of second language learners completing three different prelistening activities after one and two exposures to a passage shows that scores for subjects completing the question preview activity were higher than for subjects completing the filler activity and that additional exposure improves comprehension.…

Compares previous findings on the social correlates of the "Usted,""Tu," and "Vos" variation in three Latin American countries. All the countries have a non-solidarity function in the party (toward strangers) and the workplace (toward subordinates and superiors) domains. It is difficult to assess the effects of age…

Investigates the Spanish literacy development of 20 low-socioeconomic-status Spanish dominant students learning in whole-language classrooms. Notes that the children used a variety of reading and writing strategies. Finds that students learned about meaning construction through the use of whole language and that meaning construction was associated…

Examination of the development of form/function relations of the prepositions "por" and "para" at different levels of proficiency in the interlanguage of study-abroad students in Granada, Spain, revealed "noncanonical" as well as "canonical" uses of these prepositions. The most common noncanonical uses were…

Analysis of the talk of four native Spanish-speaking third graders revealed the many reading and conversational strategies used as they cooperatively composed an answer to a reading comprehension question in Spanish. Demonstrates how students took a position on story interpretation, used evidence to support their positions, and came to the…

Whether phonological awareness skills develop in a specific pattern and whether they transfer to another language were studied in 2 experiments with 126 English- and Spanish- speaking kindergartners and 1st graders. Results indicated that cross-language transfer can be detected in skills that are still developing. (SLD)

Summarizes a 4-year longitudinal study of over 2,000 elementary students. Compares three alternative instructional programs for Spanish-speaking, limited-English-proficient (LEP) students: structured English-immersion strategy; early exit bilingual programs; and late-exit bilingual programs. Primary language instruction seems beneficial to LEP…

Two Hispanic-American first grade girls were studied for one year by naturalistic and qualitative methods. The child for whom the teacher had low expectations did very well at reading, whereas the child of whom more was expected did less well. Why this occurred is discussed. (SLD)

Describes the development and adoption of Dade County (Florida) guidelines regarding national origin employment discrimination based on language. Discusses the case of English-speaking sisters denied employment because they did not speak Spanish, which prompted development of the guidelines. Presents the text of the guidelines in full. (JB)