This unit of the Flexible Learning System (FLS) designed for adults who work with children aged 4-8, offers a means of analyzing, evaluating, and selecting books and other educational materials for use in culturally pluralistic classrooms and with young children of Mexican-American heritage. Research which explores the impact of books on…

This paper examines the problem of language development and language growth in the English-dominant Spanish-speaking student who intends to increase his total command of Spanish for the purpose of functioning in that language at a level equivalent to that of most educated Latin Americans. Observations are based on the experiences of…

Conducted in schools, separated into control and experimental groups by geography, size, and number of bilingual teachers, the study examined whether the: (1) language experience approach yielded higher scores on a reading attitude test, a standardized reading test in English and one translated into Spanish; (2) reading gains and school attendance…

A process that could facilitate a cross-cultural learning environment was designed. The process involved (1) developing motivational devices using an historical selection process that incorporated a "significant difference", evaluated reconstructed historical materials, devices that prevent a "past-present" dichotomy,…

The purpose of this publication is to define minimal competencies for foreign language classes. The term "simulation" refers to role playing. The simulations are stated in terms of practical communication performance objectives. The intent is to have the student direct his learning in the basic skills toward an immediate objective rather than a…

At the 1976 annual meeting of the AATG, a workshop session on computer-aided language instruction (CALI) was held. Hands-on experience was the primary purpose of the session; but essential to such involvement were presentations of the various modes of CALI and discussion of the accomplishments to be expected and the caveats. A fully developed…

The general goal of this guide is to add a new dimension to the junior high school curriculum in French and Spanish. It is planned as a guide for the implementation of lessons to make students aware that knowledge of a foreign language plays an increasingly important role in many occupations. Three programs were developed around three clusters of…

The guide focuses on a rationale for exploratory foreign language courses in middle or junior high school, and on the goals and objectives for such courses. An exploratory course may serve a number of purposes regardless of whether or not a pupil elects a foreign language at a later time. These purposes include: (1) acquainting pupils with a…

A description of the twenty learning center units for advanced classes developed by the French and Spanish teacher-participants. Learning centers permit students to work independently at well-defined tasks. The units deal with housing, shopping, cooking, transportation, sports, fiestas, literature, history, architecture, painting, and music.…

This paper presents preliminary findings from three of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) surveys of interest to teachers of English as a second language (ESL): (1) the Survey of Income and Education (SIE) conducted in 1976; (2) the Teachers Language Skills Survey (TLSS) conducted in 1976-77; and (3) the Survey of Institutions of…

The parameter-setting model of universal grammar provides a basis for integrating two theories of second language acquisition: contrastive analysis and creative construction. The elicited responses of adult native speakers of Spanish and adult native speakers of Japanese were examined. The head-initial/head-final parameter was the principle…

Support in the United States for comprehensive sexuality education is overwhelming. Yet a small, vocal opposition and increasingly hostile public policy have deterred its implementation in many communities across the country. The chasm between community needs and public policy prompted the Ms. Foundation for Women and the David and Lucille Packard…

This collection of papers is divided into three parts. Part 1, "Changing Patterns: Curricular Implications," includes "Basic Assumptions Revisited: Today's French and Spanish Students at a Large Metropolitan University" (Gail Guntermann, Suzanne Hendrickson, and Carmen de Urioste) and "Le Francais et Mort, Vive le…

The treatment of politeness features is particularly revealing of the complex dynamics that language teachers face given the cultural variety present in schools and colleges. Along with its positive contributions to the learning environment, the growing student diversity poses a significant challenge for both students and educators. This paper…

Responses to the 1990 United States census question concerning languages other than English that are spoken at home are summarized. It was found that in 1990, 14 percent of the population 5 years and older spoke a language other than English at home, as contrasted with 11 percent in 1980. Languages spoken most commonly at home in descending order…