A study was conducted (1) to determine the need for vocational training among the limited English speaking (LEP) population in Texas; (2) to determine how many LEP students are being served by vocational programs; (3) to set priorities in the training areas; (4) to assess the need and type of support services required to keep LEP students in…

In a study of the detection of test item bias, Chinese speakers and Spanish speakers were administered a measure of pronunciation accuracy for the (d) and (z) morphemes. Six indices were calculated for each item: item difficulty, point biserial correlation coefficient, item variance, chi-square, Rasch logit of difficulty, and the average…

The redesign of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has resulted in improved usefulness of the data set to conduct policy relevant research on Hispanic student achievement. Improvements include changing the procedure for ethnic identification to self-reporting, modifying sample selection, and planning for the conduct of special…

This bilingual handbook, presented in both Spanish and English, is designed to assist parents of language minority students who are residing in California. The book is part of the technical assistance effort of the State Department of Education to clarify the operations of the California schools to language minority parents so they can better…

The writing apprehension experienced by Puerto Rican university students is examined. Levels of apprehension when writing in English versus native Spanish, for males versus females, and for students enrolled or not enrolled in writing classes are compared. The results indicate that the students, particularly the women, are more apprehensive when…

A study of code-switching in a group of 35 Spanish-English bilingual third-graders is reported. The students' diary journal entries and writing assignments based on previous classwork are examined. Retelling of stories previously told by the teacher and the journal entries helped identify the kind of language used by students, the code-switching…

The University of San Francisco developed a certificate program in Western European area studies covering French-speaking countries, and subsequently a Latin American area studies program for Spanish-speaking countries, in response to uneven language enrollments and as a means of increasing intermediate-level enrollment. The French program begins…

A total of 96 students identified as academically at risk were selected to participate in an extended-day kindergarten program featuring small class size and a whole-language approach to the curriculum and learning. High-risk students attended regular morning kindergarten classes as well as the extended-day sessions; comparison students attended…

An outline of the Spanish curriculum used in grades 4-7 in the Radford, Virginia schools is presented. It consists of outlines of the course content for each year of the four-year program. The content is divided into two categories: listening comprehension, geared to a specific textbook, and the grouped skills of speaking, reading, writing,…

Student papers presented at a sociolinguistics conference include: "La variation phonologique [d'une voyelle] a Hull"; "La force illocutoire des pronoms personnels 'je' et 'tu' en tant qu'insignes des places d'ou parlent les femmes et les hommes"; "L'emploi des modes indicatif et subjonctif dans le francais parle de la…

Based on the experiences and design of a model demonstration program, the guide describes basic considerations in developing services for mildly and moderately developmentally handicapped young children in a mainstreamed, multicultural/bilingual day care setting. Un Bien Comienzo (UBC), a program developed to respond to the needs of Spanish…

Through the Problem Solving and Reasoning Skills Cognitive Development Model for Severely Disadvantaged Puerto Rican College Students, the Ana G. Mendez Educational Foundation developed a model for cognitive skills development for disadvantaged, low-achieving Hispanics. The program incorporates cognitive skills into existing remedial courses in…

This book of exercises is part of the package of materials developed for use in an English for Special Purposes project, which offers classes in reading, grammar, and emergency care attendant training for limited English proficient students. The exercises are designed to meet the need for early presentation of medical and allied health related…

This teacher's manual is designed to accompany the exercise book on structure and vocabulary. It is part of a package of materials developed for use in an English for Special Purposes project, which offers classes in reading, grammar, and emergency care attendant training for limited English proficient students. Brief notes and suggestions are…

This book contains two versions of the Language Aptitude Test. It is part of a package of materials developed for use in an English for Special Purposes project, which offers classes in reading, grammar, and emergency care attendant training for limited English proficient students. Introductory material describes the parts of two versions and…