Although often neglected in language classrooms, second language phonology is a crucial element in language learning because it is often the most salient feature in the speech of a foreigner. As instructors, we must decide how to emphasize pronunciation and what techniques to use. This article discusses a collaborative pod-casting project in an…

This study analyzes variables related to the context and consequences of women's use of violence as well as a wide range of violent behaviors used and experienced by court-ordered English- and Spanish-speaking women. Data were derived from intake assessments of 125 court-ordered women over 24 months. Almost all of the women reported a history of…

The aim of this paper is to describe vocabulary use during semi-spontaneous oral production among instructed learners of French and Spanish at two different stages in the UK educational system: year 9 (near beginners) and year 13 (approximately low-intermediates). The paper mainly focuses on comparing lexical diversity (range or variety of…

In this study, we investigate whether specific language impairment (SLI) manifests itself grammatically in the same way in Spanish and English with respect to nominal plural marking. English-speaking children with SLI are very proficient at marking plural on nouns. Spanish has two main nominal plural allomorphs: /s/ and /es/. The /es/ allomorph…

This study examines the relation between the motivational structure and use of learning strategies of high school foreign language students. Students in 36 foreign language classrooms (French, German, Latin, and Spanish; first- through fifth-years) from a large Midwestern high school participated in the study (N=694). As predicted, correlation and…

The purpose of this study was (a) to explore the factor structure of a Spanish version of the Career Decision Scale (CDS; Osipow, Carney, Winer, Yanico, & Koschier, 1976) with Puerto Rican college students, (b) to examine the relation of trait anxiety to the identified dimensions of career indecision, and (c) to explore differences in anxiety…

Latino English Language Learners represent the largest group of language minority students attending public school in the United States. Research is needed to address the early literacy problems which impede this population from acquiring literacy in the English language with efficacy and to determine the most effective assessment and intervention…

This case study of reading activity in third-grade bilingual classrooms at a state-sanctioned "successful" school examines the influences of the California accountability framework--Proposition 227, No Child Left Behind, and the federal Reading First program--on shifting beliefs and practices around what "counts" as reading.…

In order to expand the base of foreign language study in an increasingly international society, a general curriculum guide to Spanish instruction has been developed for all grades from kindergarten through junior college. The guide provides for the coordination of language programs at all grade levels within a school system. The guidelines, which…

In this paper on Hispanic studies, seven major areas of thought are developed. The classification of material includes: (1) the Spanish major in today's world, (2) learning the language, (3) history and the structures of the language, (4) literature and literary scholarship, (5) Spanish peninsular literature, (6) Spanish American literature, and…

Analyses of the Null Subject Parameter (NSP) suggest that several factors may influence the resetting process for second language acquisition, such as specific "trigger" data, awareness of agreement as a part of awareness of agreement (INFL), and stylistic rules such as subject postposing and anaphoric reference. Four tests were…

A home-based Spanish literacy program for Spanish-speaking parents in Elgin, Illinois, which began as a project of the Elgin school district, is described. The program originated with a search for literacy instructional materials for this group. The curriculum was designed to focus on functional Spanish literacy and basic arithmetic skills, the…

A study of transfer of native language training and/or interference in learning English idioms had as its subjects 12 Venezuelan students in an American university who were advanced learners of English as a second language. Fifteen equivalent and commonly used English and Spanish idioms were used in tests of recognition, comprehension, recall, and…

A study compared the reading strategies in Spanish of three third-graders: two monolingual Spanish-speakers and one bilingual English-Spanish speaker. The Miscue Analysis Inventory was used for data analysis. Results indicated that the three readers performed below the proficient reader level, and their miscues followed similar patterns. The main…

This paper attempts to integrate the results of the ethnographic and attitudinal components of a broader study into a specifically sociolinguistic analysis. While a variety of opinions can be found in the literature on code-switching, the contention here is that code-switching is a norm in specific speech situations that exist in stable bilingual…