This publication (one of a series) contains 19 articles which report the status and progress of studies on the nature of speech, instruments for its investigation, and practical applications. Articles are: "Speech Perception Deficits in Poor Readers: Auditory Processing or Phonological Coding?" (Maria Mody and others); "Auditory…

This paper addresses the issue of whether second language (L2) learners can reset parameters, by testing English speakers learning Spanish on their ability to reset the subjacency and bounding node parameters. The bounding nodes are IP and NP in English and CP and NP in Spanish. Eight American graduate students, highly proficient in the Spanish…

The lives of many Hispanic Americans have made a difference in the story of America. Hispanic Americans are people whose families can be traced to the Spanish speaking countries. At the time of the 1990 census, there were 22,400,000 Hispanic Americans in the United States. They should be proud of their heritage, and should recognize the…

A study examined the production of English apology strategies by Spanish speakers learning English, by analyzing the remedial move in native and non-native social interactions. To restore harmony when an offensive act has been committed, remedial exchanges are performed according to the rules of speaking and the social norms of the speech…

Data from performance measures that were part of two foreign language teacher certification examinations were used in a generalizability study of the quality of their performance ratings. A total of 775 examinees from the Spanish K-12 and 192 examinees from the French K-12 subject area tests of the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations were…

This report describes one segment of the Federal Language Testing Board's Unified Language Testing Plan (ULTP), the validation of speaking proficiency tests in Spanish and English. The ULTP is a project to increase standardization of foreign language proficiency measurement and promote sharing of resources among testing programs in the federal…

This guide provides students with experiences similar to those found in a space laboratory such as the space shuttle. The activities are geared towards recycling, developing the perspective of a conservationist, taking action on a personal level that contributes to a healthy atmosphere, and preparing informed citizens that are capable of making…

Some of the uses of laughter in conversation are examined, specifically as laughter occurs in a second language setting. Although the concepts of humor and laughter are often intertwined, not all laughter is humorous, nor does every humorous event evoke laughter. Furthermore, cross-cultural difference can contribute to misinterpretation of…

The study of language reference materials, particularly dictionaries and grammar works, for languages of Guam and Micronesia includes a brief history of their evolution and an annotated bibliography. An introductory section describes the geographic situation of Micronesia and chronicles numerous periods of foreign influence: Spanish Colonization…

A process-model for writing in a second language is presented. Its seven components include the following: prewriting, draft 1 (not graded), feedback on draft 1, draft 2 (not graded), feedback on draft 2, final draft, and postwriting. Student and instructor attitudes toward the process are discussed, along with an analysis of the different types…

In the nation and in Arizona, the Hispanic population is growing more rapidly than any other ethnic group. Similarly, the number and proportion of Hispanic children and youth are increasing, as are Hispanic students classified as limited English proficient. This paper presents an overview of information on the socioeconomic, educational, and…

A study of middle verb constructions in Canadian French and Madrid Spanish suggests that two alleged defining characteristics of these constructions are not really defining characteristics. These are: (1) that the constructions only appear in generic sentences, and (2) that they disallow "by"-phrases of the type found in passive…

The practice of "chismeando" (gossiping, in Spanish) is examined as it is defined and engaged in by a group of women from the Dominican Republic. It is argued that the stories told in chismeando are repositories of sociocultural knowledge. Women's participation in the practice provides the women with a framework for understanding and…

Research indicates immersion learners tend to process the second language predominantly for meaning, rather than both meaning and form. Immersion learners appear to be fluent in the second language, but closer scrutiny reveals serious gaps in grammatical accuracy. A study investigated the effect of focus-on-form instruction on the acquisition of…

A study attempted to (1) define acoustically the learner's progress in acquisition of a set of phonological features, specifically interlingual differences in the voice onset time of voiceless stop consonants and the number of taps produced when attempting to produce the Spanish phoneme /r/ (trill); (2) determine if and at what stage of…