Student attitudes toward the study of literature in a foreign language were examined, based on a survey of introduction to literature courses in French and Spanish. Most students revealed positive attitudes. A review of previous research and the survey instrument are included. (38 references) (LB)

This study was designed to measure and bridge the mismatch in perceptions of error correction (EC) between a teacher and his students. The participants were 32 students in two intact, beginner-level Spanish classes at a mid-size university in the Southwest of the US. The treatment consisted of two learner training (LT) sessions (see Reiss, 1981)…

This article investigates how culture shapes instruction in a bilingual early care and education program serving migrant and seasonal farm worker families in rural Wyoming. Interviews with eight early childhood teachers as well as classroom observations were conducted. The investigation is framed around the following research question: How does…

Although mentoring dates back to Greek mythology, the concept continues to thrive in today's society. Mentoring is a strategy that successful people have known about for centuries. The REFORMA/UCLA Mentor Program has made use of this strategy since its inception in November 1985 at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the…

The Ainsworth School Spanish Partial Immersion Program (Portland, Oregon) was established in 1987 to provide an elementary foreign language magnet program to children in the district. The program's major goals are bilingual proficiency and increased understanding of the second language culture. During 1989-1990, the program enrolled 205 students…

This is the third and last unit in a series designed to provide the Spanish-speaking child with a complete language arts and reading program for grades 1-3. It focuses on the development of decoding, encoding, comprehension, and interpretation skills. This third grade workbook, one component of the language arts unit, contains 22 chapters with…

The results (compiled in 1989) of two studies relating to the Culver City (California) Spanish Immersion Program are presented. The program, begun in 1971, provides immersion education for kindergarten through fifth grade and is articulated with a middle school program for immersion students. In 1987, two surveys gathered parent and teacher…

A project is reported that developed a test for students in foreign language in the elementary school (FLES) programs. Relevant tests in Spanish and English as a Second Language (ESL) were reviewed in order to develop a listening and reading test that could determine achievement in a typical FLES curriculum. Pilot testing was conducted with 121…

This is a set of generic proficiency goals in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and culture developed for all languages and for French, German, and Spanish specifically. Both the common and specific goals are being field tested to determine their utility for college and university language instructors. In addition, a questionnaire has been…

Portfolios are one of the assessment tools used in Pacesetter® Spanish. In Phase I of this study, conducted in 1995-96, a first attempt was made to develop a standardized portfolio assessment system. As part of this system, a set of guidelines and an assessment matrix were prepared. In Phase II of our research, in consultation with participating…

Describes an experiment designed to determine which language errors interfere to the greatest degree with comprehension by native speakers of the language. For this purpose, an instructor prepared a list of most serious Spanish language errors which was submitted to native speakers for evaluation in terms of comprehension and acceptability. (MES)

Data are presented from a survey of students' reactions to two different Spanish textbooks. Important issues raised about foreign language instructional material highlight the importance of considering learner variables in the textbook selection process. The study questionnaire is appended. (Contains 19 references.) (Author/LB)

This study has been done to gather data as to whether there is improvement in vocabulary development, reading comprehension and reading fluency when a child is reading aloud and he or she has a reading companion as opposed to not having a reading companion. As this literature review indicates there has been a lot of research on the benefits of…

A survey was conducted of 167 community-based organizations in 40 states that support family child-care providers. Conducted by the Children's Foundation, the survey sought to examine the need for Spanish-language training and instructional materials by family child-care organizations. Responses indicated that over 80 percent of the responding…

The Bilingual Oral Language Test (BOLT-English) was pilot tested in January 1976, field tested in April 1976, and again in October, November 1976, on a population of more than 3,000 students in the San Francisco Bay Area, Pomona, Riverside, and Palm Springs, California. Results reported include concurrent validity values of .9 and .86 when…