Illustrates how advance organizers can be used to aid the second-language decoding process. Devices considered include cognate recognition, syllable-morpheme information, contextualized meaning, chronological ordering, time-frame reference, cross-cultural differences, redefinitions, and direction of discourse. (CB)

An attitude dimension questionnaire was administered to a random sample of Mexican-American college students and to a random sample of Spanish-surnamed professionals in the Rio Grande Valley (Table 1). Attitudes toward use of Spanish varied by age, sex, generation, and occupational status. Tabular results in Appendix. (Author/LMO)

Describes a system of editing compositions on an IBM PC that allows students to see how to correct their mistakes. Gives directions for formatting two columns--one for text and one for corrections. (Author/LMO)

Study of the second language retention of students who completed a seven-year elementary Spanish immersion program found that some language loss occurred soon after program termination, with greatest loss in productive skills. Findings suggested that attitudinal predisposition influenced the extent to which students retained their Spanish skills.…

Investigates monolingual Spanish-speaking children's acquisition of Spanish orthographic structure. Results indicate that the students' decoding skills and their later reading achievement are not significantly related. (Author/CB)

Discusses the subtle changes of meaning evoked by different sentence positions of "hace"-clauses. Analyzes the semantics of "hace" + TIME sentences which are the equivalent of English "ago." A presentation suitable for the beginning learner, using "since" + TIME as the English translation of the "hace"-clause followed by "que" is suggested.…

It was found that native English speakers and native Spanish speakers who listened to tapes of Puerto Rican learners of English of various levels of proficiency differed principally in how they rated the linguistic form of the speakers and in the annoyance reported. Pronunciation and hesitations were reported by both groups as the most distracting…

The article presents normative data for the Spanish version of the "Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language" using data based on the speech of 60 Mexican children in three age groups from two to nine years. Half the children were low socioeconomic monolingual, and half were high socioeconomic bilingual. (Author/DB)

Reports on attempts to determine whether Cuban Abakua is a pidginized Afro-Spanish, creole, or dead language and concludes that some of this language, spoken by a secret society, has its roots in Efik, a language of the Benue-Congo, and seems to be a simple, ritualistic, structureless argot. (CB)

Examines the process of question development in a second language. Shows that with greater English proficiency (1) there was less reliance on syntactically simple construction, (2) questions about personal information and actions and intentions questions increased, (3) requests for factual information and classification questions decreased. (SRT)

A mental multiplication test, containing items written in Dutch, Spanish, and Roman numerals was administered to 286 Dutch students. Further instruction was given in either Spanish or Roman, and a subtest combining languages was given. The iterative logit method was found to be useful in detecting biased test items. (GDC)

Stress response among 150 physically injured Spanish-speaking/surnamed workers in the Los Angeles area was assessed through one-and-one-half-hour individual psychiatric evaluations. Most were first-generation Mexican American males with little formal education, an agrarian background, and in unskilled jobs prior to their injuries. Psychiatric…

Describes a survey done to measure the extent to which courses in foreign languages for special purposes (FLSP) are part of the curriculum in higher education. Sixty-two percent of the responding colleges and universities offer FLSP courses. Survey results indicate growth potential of this relatively new field.

Kinesics, a form of nonverbal communication, is defined and described; the manner in which visual signals are expressed verbally in contemporary Spanish literature is characterized and exemplified; similarities and differences in exemplary gestures are examined across cultures; and the pedagogical implications are discussed. (MSE)

Suggests ways in which career education can be incorporated into Spanish language courses. These include: (1) instilling proper attitudes towards work; (2) improving speaking, reading, and writing skills; (3) infusing career vocabulary; (4) using career texts; (5) keeping a bulletin board; (5) organizing a Career Day; and (6) arranging for…