This study in the field of Second Language Acquisition (SLA) was conducted in a Spanish as a foreign language classroom. The study investigates dyadic face-to-face collaborative dialogue at the computer from a sociocultural perspective. Protocols for analysis were obtained by the transcription of audio recordings of twelve dyads/triads completing…

There is relatively little information on the treatment effectiveness of child behavior-management programs with Spanish-speaking populations. Though there are several empirically supported treatments available in English, research on the applicability of these programs in Spanish is virtually nonexistent. This single-case study discusses the…

One of the most common uses of the World Wide Web for foreign language learning is as a resource for students to find information when researching essay topics. When language instructors ask students to perform searches for information about a given issue it is assumed that students know how to perform those searches and appreciate the usefulness…

There is a documented need for reliable and valid Spanish-translated child mental health assessment tools. Although the psychometric properties of some of the more commonly used Spanish translations have been demonstrated, many instruments that were developed, tested, and normed in English are being Spanish-translated and used without further…

Fifty-four students were tested at specific time intervals over 10 years to determine best native language (NL) predictors of oral and written foreign language (FL) proficiency and FL aptitude. All participants completed two years of Spanish, French, or German. Each was administered measures of NL literacy, oral language, and cognitive ability in…

Nearly one in five Americans speaks a language other than English at home; among Americans speaking languages other than English, the largest single language group is Spanish speaking (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2004). The increase in the total group of language minority individuals has been dramatic, with their proportion in the U.S. population…

For Week of the Young Child, a Texas school offers a bilingual parent institute to nurture school-family relationships, demonstrate and build on school respect for home cultures, and foster community awareness of early childhood education. Families recognize the learning for children inherent in daily routines, learn teaching techniques, and feel…

Predominant, if not exclusive, use of the target language has long been considered an important principle of second language (L2) instruction. Previous research has attempted to quantify the amount of the first language (L1) used in the classroom and has explored the purposes or functions of teachers' "lapses" into their students' L1. The present…

The format and structure of 150 Spanish-language letters written by business administrators in Guatemalan firms were analyzed to help determine how Latin American business writers organize and present information in various types of routine letters. Findings suggest that Latin American businesspeople follow some, but not all, of the format…

The topic of migrant workers is commonplace among headlines in the national news, but such workers have been part of the United States economy for at least seventy-five years, as can be seen in decades of enrollment records in K-12 schools. In this article, the authors discuss an integrated unit of study which integrates language arts and social…

This paper investigates how bilingualism is understood and practiced by adults and students in a dual-language elementary school. In this dual-language program, native English speakers and native Spanish speakers receive language and content instruction in both languages in linguistically integrated settings. I examine the participants' use of…

Like its English counterpart, this is a collection of over 100 games and activities whose intent is to increase oral proficiency without requiring reading skills. The collection grew out of the desire to provide remedies for specific linguistic weaknesses in Spanish as identified by the Language Assessment Scales. Because tongue twisters, riddles,…

Summaries of ten dissertations are presented: (1) "Levels of Citizen Participation in Selected ESEA Title VII Bilingual Education Advisory Committees: An Exploratory Study of Power Relationships between Community Clients and School Authorities," by R. Rodriguez; (2) "The Construction and Validation of the Listening and Reading…

The first section of this paper consists of an examination of the relevant research and literature concerning the conclusion that an effective ESL (English as a second language) program for Mexican-American college students must combine the teaching of language and culture. Four domains are isolated and defined: EFL (English as a foreign…

This article describes an investigation of medical facilities undertaken by 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children in a dual-language prekindergarten program in Chicago, Illinois. The article describes the phases of the project and documents the children's involvement in the project through anecdotal reports, photographs, and samples of the children's…