A study investigated the ability of second language learners of Spanish to simultaneously process form and meaning during input. The students' conscious attention to form competed with conscious attention to meaning, and it is suggested that learners could attend to form during the intake process only when input was easily understandable. (CB)

Proposes and illustrates the use of a framework for describing methodological trends in beginning-level college Spanish texts. The framework's five parameters focus on communication activities/grammar; contextualization/non-contextualization; meaningful/role; divergent/convergent; and interactive/non-interactive exercises. (21 references) (CB)

Discusses the effectiveness of student-created oral presentations and visual displays in helping second-language students personalize and internalize the second language, and proposes structural guidelines that provide students flexibility in developing Spanish-language drama, writing, and art activities. (CB)

Interpreters working in southern Florida courts are witnessing the genesis and proliferation of a non-standard Spanish variety due to the constant interaction of Spanish and English. Interpreters' ability to interpret "Spanglish" and to deal effectively with other code-switching is essential to achieving the communicative competence…

Discusses the validity of studies of Spanish pronunciation in terms of research methods employed. Topics include data collection in the laboratory vs. in a natural setting; recorded vs. non-recorded data; quality of the recording; aural analysis vs. spectrographic analysis; and transcriber reliability. Suggestions for improving data collection are…

Applies Reid's notion of verbal focus to explain the distinction between preterite (high focus) and imperfect (low focus) to determine tense in Spanish. Data from two contemporary short stories document variables affecting focus. Techniques for teaching preterite and imperfect and some class activities are suggested. (LMO)

Provides a biography of Augusto Cesar Sandino (1895-1934), a key figure in modern Nicaraguan history,and discusses the organizational and ideological foundations of his movement. An annotated bibliography of 58 works by and about Sandino is included. (MES)

Focuses on how to teach English-speaking students of Spanish the practical distinction between the verbs, "saber" (to be cognizant of) and "conocer" (to be acquainted with). This article describes a solution proposed by K. Taylor for explaining the limits of the two verbs and examines similar proposals delineated in three other Spanish textbooks.…

Discusses how the use of folders and kits provides effective ways of promoting conversational practice within small groups in beginning Spanish classes. The types of tasks used simulate the circumstances found in most language learning outside the classroom. (one reference) (Author/CK)

Northern Andean Spanish (NAS) possesses a complex system of structures used in impositive speech. NAS speakers choose from several grammatical possibilities when asking their interlocutor to act. This article summarizes the grammatical possibilities and explains how the different forms are used to indicate different levels of politeness. (15…

Describes a teaching technique in second-language instruction that develops language proficiency by stressing all forms of communication, combining the student's exposure to oral/aural input and written output. (GLR)

Ways to use Spanish-language television (STV) for teaching Spanish are described, including management of STV at several classroom proficiency levels. It is concluded that authentic materials should be developed around the students' overall development as well as the textbook. (19 references) (LB)

Results of a sociolinguistic analysis of bilingualism indicated a statistically significant difference in the amounts of English and Spanish used in two contexts: formal and familial settings. The data suggest that Spanish-English bilingualism is at a crossroads: youths are bilingual by grade 12 but appear to be shifting toward English as their…

Investigation of the first- and second-language reading comprehension of adult native speakers of Spanish or English who were second-language learners of the other language at different proficiency levels indicated that both first-language reading ability and second-language proficiency were statistically significant factors influencing…

In a discussion of possessives in Spanish, it is shown that three morphosyntactic constructs are systematically linked. The possessive dative construction, inalienable possession and nonrestrictive adjectives, and inalienable possession with subjects are examined. (25 references) (LB)