This volume contains the appendices to a study to determine which patterns of classroom interaction and student characteristics were related to students' acquisition of oral proficiency in English. Participants were the English as a second language teachers and students at the West New York (New Jersey) Adult Learning Center. Student measures, a…

After a critical examination of four assumptions of current procedures in language assessment, it is argued that the pragmatic domain of language ability should be the first to be assessed. A study designed to determine the usefulness of language variation (the number of different structures a child can produce or comprehend) as an alternative…

Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I, Mexican American migrant programs in the state of Iowa stressed low pupil-teacher ratio, establishment of students' educational attainment, and use of ungraded curriculum. Since the language barrier was identified as a major obstacle to information transmission in the classroom, oral language…

A 3-year study of the effect of 3 years of audiolingually oriented FLES instruction on student achievement in French and Spanish classes in grades 7-12 is described. Samples of the language proficiency tests used as research instruments for grades 7 and 9 are reproduced in the extensive appendixes, along with the objectives of the FLES program.…

This volume on the language education of minority children is divided into three sections: (1) Multilingualism in the United States, (2) Bilingualism and Bilingual Education, and (3) Language Education in Practice. Following an introductory essay, "The Language Education of Minority Children," by Bernard Spolsky, the articles in the first section…

A study was conducted to supply data on the characteristics of young adult Chicanos compared with their Anglo peers. A stratified random sample of undergraduate Mexican-American (N=153) and Anglo (N=148) students was taken at the University of Texas, El Paso, where one third of the students enrolled have a Spanish surname. A self-devised…

This basic textbook for Latin American Spanish contains 10 units. The text is adaptable for use in an academic institution (Completion time is expected to be one year.), in an intensive program (Completion time is about 90-120 hours.), or in independent study. The vocabulary is limited and only basic, essential, grammatical structures are…

The purpose of this study was to improve the English competence of Spanish-speaking students, to increase their success in school, and to help them develop stronger self-concepts. Control and experimental groups of students were selected from kindergarten, second, and fourth grades of elementary schools with a predominantly Chicano population.…

This book explores the relationship between Spanish language usage, English language proficiency, and the long-term educational outcomes of Mexican American youths. Language use patterns and language attitudes were examined among 38 high school dropouts, 188 high school students, and 36 college students, all Mexican Americans in Chicago. Chapters…

The primary purpose of this study was the naturalistic assessment of growth in oral English proficiency of Hispanic American limited English proficient (LEP) students in a paired reciprocal learning format. Subjects were fifth-grade students in a summer English-as-a-Second-Language class. Twelve students in a paired learning format and 12 in a…

A foreign language segment was integrated into the exploratory curriculum of the sixth grade in Marion, Indiana's middle schools. The overall course offers nine-week segments in home economics, industrial arts, computer literacy, and foreign language, introducing the children to curricular areas they may select later in middle school. In the…

In 1986-87, the Multilingual Survival Skills Program provided, with the support of Title VII funding, instructional and support services to 360 limited-English-speaking Haitian and Hispanic students at a Brooklyn high school. The program's major goals were to develop English and native language proficiency through simultaneous, intensive study of…

A review of research on the cognitive, linguistic, and scholastic development of mainland Hispanic-American children paints a dismal overall picture. Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States, 11% of the population in 1986; about 75% have Mexican ancestry. Less than half of Latin adults speak English well enough for the…

This collection of 10 selected conference papers report the results of language testing research. Titles and authors are: "Computerized Adaptive Language Testing: A Spanish Placement Exam" (Jerry W. Larson); "Utilizing Rasch Analysis to Detect Cheating on Language Examinations" (Harold S. Madsen); "Scalar Analysis of…

The purpose of this study was to develop and test the effectiveness of a program in which activity-based science was used as a conceptual basis for language instruction. A series of four instructional units were adapted for bilingual use. Students' written and oral observations were used in experience charts and other language development…