A review of the significant advances made in the study of Spanish language history during the 1980s describes recent developments in introductory textbooks, manuals, external histories, phonological research, morphological research, syntactic research, semantic research, dictionaries, learned vocabularies, bibliographies, and literary research.…

Describes three stages of an instructional method for involving language students in the study of foreign literature. Suggestions are offered for practical classroom activities. (MLS)

Suggests four methods to help students make intelligent guesses and expand their Spanish vocabulary through induction of cognate patterns, including making students consciously aware of cognate patterns; emphasizing general patterns of English abstract words and their corresponding Spanish cognates; enhancing inductive learning strategies through…

Provides insight into how to more fully realize the potential of computer-assisted language learning, emphasizing the importance of sound methodology and the employment of appropriate technology to measure students' progress. (CB)

Almost half of AIDS cases among Hispanics associated with sexual transmission. Of 25 condom brands studied, only half provided Spanish instructions. Readability tests indicate these texts pose difficulties for anyone reading below ninth-grade level. Suggests need to modify AIDS education and prevention materials available to Hispanic community.…

Spontaneous language samples from 15 Mexican-American monolingual Spanish-speaking children between the ages of two and five were analyzed for the acquisition sequence of 10 morphemes: demonstratives, articles, copulas, and the regular present indicative; followed by irregular present indicative, regular preterite indicative, plurals, possessive…

Discusses how several forms of authentic materials can be used in the foreign language classroom. Materials are included from videotape, audiotape, and print. Sample activities use each medium for Spanish and French classes of various levels. Sources for authentic materials are listed in Appendices. (LMO)

An assessment of the substantive progress made regarding the study of language contact and bilingualism in the Hispanic world explores research concerning language contact and grammars, the bilingual speech community and linguistic structure, and bilingual discourse. (45 references) (CB)

Describes the use of HyperCard to author interactive Spanish videodisc using a videodisc version of "Zarabanda," a Spanish-instruction soap opera. An explanation of hypermedia is followed by a discussion of how to create courseware with HyperCard, and by specific examples of the application of HyperCard to "Zarabanda."…

Chronicles the history of federal laws governing use of court interpreters, focusing on the Court Interpreters Act of 1978. The Spanish/English Federal Court Interpreter Certification Examination is discussed, and problems in state court interpreter selection, policy formation, and improvement of interpreting quality are presented. (Author/MSE)

Discusses the rise of Mexican Spanish as a distinct variety of Spanish and describes the regional and social dialects of contemporary Mexican Spanish. Although countless similarities exist between Mexican Spanish and the Chicano Spanish spoken in the southwestern United States, Mexican Spanish shows greater variability. (GR)

Describes "Language Crafter," a word processor and word game generator that can be used to compose worksheets and invent word games in English, Spanish, French, and German. Bingo, crossword puzzles, word-search puzzles, and scrambled word games can help students develop and improve their foreign language vocabulary. (CB)

David Bilingual Learning Center (Tucson, AZ) blends academic and cultural learning into an enriching experience through an elementary magnet program which teaches language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science in students' native languages of either English or Spanish and then incorporates the second language through a "Language of the…

Evaluates the effects of presenting verbal models following the initiations or expressions of interest of 16 children aged 28 to 34 months on both production and comprehension abilities measures. Results suggest that the timing of exposure to language models plays a critical role in language acquisition. (RJC)

Offers several justifications for the claim that code-switching is a positive, not a negative, phenomenon. Included are three examples of "mixtilingual" poetry: poetry "mixing languages" in order to evoke different feelings and images within a certain cultural context. The poems mix English and Spanish, English and Italian, and Italian and…