This article is an exploration of differences among adults studying beginning English as a Second Language (ESL). Data was obtained through interviews with 20 Washington, DC-area Spanish-speaking adults enrolled in beginning ESL classes who had a range of different literacy levels in their first language. The interviews included two phases, one…

The Seward Park Family Literacy Program was an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII-funded project in its second year of operation at Seward Park High School in Manhattan (New York). In 1992-93 the program served Cantonese-, Mandarin-, and Spanish-speaking adults of limited English proficiency with instruction in English as a second…

This report assesses the Alternative Learning Methodologies through Academics (Project ALMA), which is designed to assist the academic progress of 531 Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency who attend John Bowne High School in Queens and John F. Kennedy High School in the Bronx. Participating students received instruction in…

This study examined the effects of an interactive approach called instructional conversations (IC) on the language and concept development of Hispanic students categorized as learning handicapped, by comparing traditional instruction (basal reading approach) with instructional conversations. Lessons were conducted with five limited English…

A study investigated: (1) the average language proficiency level as determined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) attained by 271 college seniors majoring in 6 languages (Spanish, French, Russian, German, Japanese, Italian); (2) current and projected uses of the ACTFL OPI by…

Project CELSIM (Career Education and Learning Strategies Implementation Model) had as its primary goal the provision of supplemental bilingual special education with a particular emphasis on the acquisition of learning strategies. The learning strategies approach was designed to improve cognitive functions, infuse career awareness, and help…

A foreign language curriculum is described that was designed especially for students enrolled in a master's in business education program at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The program's goals are for students: (1) to attain a high-intermediate level of proficiency in speaking, listening, and reading in the target language; and…

The Galbahe Language Tests C1 and C2 measure the Spanish language proficiency of children aged 7 to 8 years (C1) and those aged 10 to 11 years (C2). Equivalent tests E1 and E2 measure the Basque language achievement of the same age groups, respectively. Both tests were designed as part of a study of teaching of the Basque language in parts of…

A study of the relationship between university-level second language development and previous language and other experience is described. The study, in its early stages at the time of writing, is being conducted at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, and involves students of French, German, Italian, and Spanish. This report describes the subjects…

A study of the effectiveness of a language proficiency testing method using partial dictation is reported. The study used 60 undergraduate students at a Mexican university studying English as a second language under a traditional four-skills approach. The partial dictation exam was a combination of dictation and cloze procedure. The entire text is…

Vocational and language skill development of severely retarded and autistic adolescent Hispanics is a training focus at the University of Texas, El Paso. University students and parents of the handicapped are trained in the following areas: teaching grocery shopping and how to order from fast food restaurants, teaching use of public…

Six articles discuss various aspects of the English Only Movement while affirming the inalienable right of language minority individuals to equal educational opportunity and due process under the law and the right to maintain cultural and linguistic ties to their native heritages. Congressman Don Edwards considers bilingual ballots, explaining…

During 1988-89, the Austin Independent School District's Title 7 program continued to supplement services through the locally funded bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs to secondary students of limited English proficiency. The 1988-89 Title 7 evaluation report provides an overview of the programs's changes, staff training,…

Project TEACH (Technological Enrichment and Achievement for Cambodians and Hispanics) completed the first year of a 2-year extension of federal funding. Administered by Theodore Roosevelt High School's foreign languages and bilingual education department, the project's major goal was to provide students with bilingual instruction in computer…

Two programs at San Diego State University are part of a larger program to train students to become professional bilingual (Spanish-English) teachers. One project provided support to modify five undergraduate courses in math, science, Mexican American culture and history, and child development so they could be taught in Spanish. These courses were…