This paper addresses beginning level Spanish heritage language (SHL) learners' attitudes towards their language and culture. Heritage language (HL) programs and research have often overlooked beginning level learners, especially within university settings. The current study involved 20 participants from a beginning level SHL class in the…

This paper compares two sets of data from the same year, 2001--the numbers of students taking languages other than English at primary and secondary level, and census statistics for the home use of languages other than English. The data draws attention to languages that are taught principally in day schools and those taken mainly in after hours…

This research is the result of time spent on school campuses, working in classrooms, observing lunch areas and student quads, and interviewing students. We tried to determine how or whether English learners had opportunities to learn with and from native English speakers, as well as whether both groups were aware of the presence of each other on…

Spanish for Agricultural Purposes is a set of study materials designed to furnish experience in Spanish for North American agriculturalists preparing to work in Latin America. The materials were developed in the University of Illinois' Language Learning Laboratory (LLL). They consist of (1) a basic manual based on specimens of agricultural writing…

This article reports continuing increases in the youth labor force participation rate. The employment situation of workers aged sixteen to twenty-four is described as improved for the year ending October, 1977. The report states that the number with jobs rose by 1.1 million to 20.6 million. Also, the number of unemployed youth dropped by 280,000…

Advocates national policy of multiculturalism and multilingualism, acquired through cohesive use of a common language (English) spoken by all Australians, yet retaining and incorporating the more than 20 major languages presently in use. Suggests provisions for efficient teaching of English and encouragement of all other community languages,…

Examines one example of an enrichment bilingual program in a middle school in an inner-city Latino neighborhood. The article discusses instances of motivated, interdisciplinary, and biliterate learning observed in the classroom, describes obstacles and solutions, and suggests directions for continued curricular development. (SM)

According to Frankenberg, Lee, and Orfield, segregation for black students declined substantially after the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision, "Brown v. Board of Education," reaching its lowest point 30 years later. By comparison, Latino students have experienced "steadily rising segregation since the 1960s." Unlike…

A study investigated the instructional effectiveness of Autotutor, an interactive video program developed at Trinity College (Ireland), based on its ability to create an environment promoting learner interaction in a second language. Six students in three monolingual pairs (Japanese, Korean, Spanish) were filmed and recorded using the business…

This study has investigated the comparability of computer-based testing (CBT) writing prompts in the Test of English as a Foreign Language™ (TOEFL®) for examinees of different native language backgrounds. A total of 81 writing prompts introduced from July 1998 through August 2000 were examined using a three-step logistic regression procedure for…

Sources for foreign language video materials are presented in five categories: (1) general materials sources; (2) the names and addresses of instructors who have produced materials for commercial distribution; (3) the names and formats of instructors who have developed specific techniques for using video in the classroom; (4) the names and…

Describes a collaborative in which graduate students who were learning about participatory research and cultural diversity in the classroom worked with middle school students who were learning about research. The paper examines the stories of six middle school research clubs, focusing on collaborative interactions between researchers and students.…

Findings are reported from the annual survey of doctoral degrees granted in foreign languages, literatures, cultures, linguistics, and foreign language education in the following categories: African, Asian, French, Germanic, Italian, Near and Middle Eastern, Slavic, and Spanish languages/literatures; classics; comparative literature; theoretical…

Olympic View Middle School has established a program designed to stimulate interest in foreign languages and cultures. The course is intended as an introduction to foreign language and culture study, and is required for all 7th and 8th grade students. Program 1 of the course is taught during one semester of 7th grade, Program 2 during one semester…

In this paper, I discuss a network-based collaborative project that focused on the learning conditions non-native speakers (NNSs) of Spanish perceived to be necessary to satisfactoraly communicate with native speakers (NSs). Data from online discussions, end-of-semester surveys, and final oral interviews are presented and discussed. The results of…