This article explores how class might be brought to the fore as an identity inscription in studies of second language learning, alongside other identity inscriptions such as gender, ethnicity and national identity, which have been the focus of rather more research. It begins by clarifying what is meant by class through a brief discussion of the…

This study was intended to help clarify the nature of dyslexia in Spanish. A sample of 30 children, 8 to 16 years old, participated in this study. Dyslexic children were compared to two control groups, a chronological age-matched control group and a reading level-matched control group. Measures included nonword and pseudohomophone reading…

Spatial demonstratives ("this/that") play a crucial role when indicating object locations using language. However, the relationship between the use of these proximal and distal linguistic descriptors and the near (peri-personal) versus far (extra-personal) perceptual space distinction is a source of controversy [Kemmerer, D. (1999). "Near" and…

This paper reports on an empirical study that examined knowledge of eventive and stative passives in the L2 Spanish grammar of L1 speakers of English. Although the two types of passive exist in English, the difference between them is not signaled in any specific way. In Spanish, in contrast, the distinction is marked by the choice of copula: "ser"…

A study was conducted to examine the issues of accuracy and reliability for transcription and analysis of oral narratives from Spanish-English bilingual children. Findings reveal that oral narrative data from ELL children can be accurately transcribed and the narrative measures are stable over time.

In this article, the authors review the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition Spanish (WISC-IV Spanish), a Spanish translation and adaptation of the WISC-IV. The test was developed to measure the intellectual ability of Spanish-speaking children in the United States ages 6 years, 0 months, through 16 years, 11 months. These…

In the field of second language acquisition (SLA), "comprehensible input" (Krashen, 1985) has been considered a critical factor to help learners acquire foreign and second languages (L2). From this perspective, the notion of extensive or free voluntary reading (Day & Bamford, 1998; Krashen, 1993) has emerged that L2 learners should be given more…

Under the premise that vocabulary learning in a Spanish as a second language in-class environment may be affected by the instructional approach adopted by the instructors or the materials followed, this study explores the influence of rather distant teaching styles, such as implicit and explicit approaches, on the learning outcome of Spanish…

Many children exhibit challenging behavior even in preschool. Recent reports have suggested that behavior problems, language skills, and academic delays are interrelated and perhaps mutually causal mechanisms, each adversely influencing the other. Language difficulties lead to behavior problems, behavior problems lead to academic delays, and…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which third grade English reading achievement scores, as measured by the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS), differed between two groups of students--those educated in transitional bilingual classrooms taught by native-English speaking teachers (NESTs) and…

This 2008-2009 school year program in AISD uses a train-the-trainer model in which Spanish-speaking mothers participate in a 6-week course about teaching early literacy skills and preparing their children for school. Sixty-nine of 107 mothers completed the program in 2008-2009. Students of mothers who completed the program showed academic gains.

Using a nationally representative sample of kindergarteners and first graders, this study asks if native-language test translations help English language learners (ELLs) demonstrate their mathematics skills. ELLs frequently encounter testing hurdles because they are not proficient in English, the predominant language of assessments. Low scores on…

Phrasal verbs (PVs) have recently been the object of interest by linguists given their status as phraseological units whose meaning is non-compositional and opaque. They constitute a perfect case for theories of language processing and language acquisition to be tested. Cognitive linguists have participated in this debate and shown a certain…

This study examines the potential native language (L1) attrition of the ongoing value of the Spanish present tense among long-term Spanish immigrants. Based on the assumption of second-language (L2) transfer and proposals on the permeability of interface-conditioned structures, it is hypothesized that long-term Spanish immigrants will show…

Nationally, there is a shortage of foreign language educators, and the rate of attrition in certain areas of the southeastern part of the United States is startling. The researcher investigated foreign language teachers' (N = 463) perceived efficacy teaching languages in Georgia, and findings suggest there is a link between perceived efficacy and…