A study investigated the relative effectiveness of two new teaching technologies, television and computers, as compared with traditional language laboratory instructional audiotapes in introductory Spanish. The dependent variables examined included the following: overall achievment level; reading, writing, and grammatical skills; and improved…

A study of the kinds of educational services provided to limited English speaking students, how schools provide these services, factors shaping and guiding the programs, and instructional practices fostering the development of school-related language of bilingual students is summarized. The report is divided into two parts: (1) a descriptive study…

Data from three different teacher surveys are compared in a study of Paraguayan bilingual teacher attitudes on the choice of the language to be used in the classroom. The surveys were conducted in 1976, 1979, and 1986. Paraguay was chosen because of the stability of Guarani-Spanish bilingualism in that country and in its educational system. A…

Questionnaires were mailed to first, second, and third grade state bilingual education program teachers in five selected South Texas school districts to examine criteria used by state bilingual education program teachers to transfer limited English speaking ability (LESA) children from Spanish reading to English reading. Three-fourths of the 31…

A study was conducted to identify the competencies needed by bilingual teacher aides in an elementary school program. A task analysis, in the form of a 341-item questionnaire, was disseminated to 131 bilingual teacher aides in Arizona to determine both the difficulty and frequency of the tasks performed by the aides. To further validate the…

A FINAL REPORT IS PRESENTED HERE ON A PILOT PROJECT THAT WAS CONDUCTED DURING THE 1962-63 ACADEMIC YEAR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO IN WHICH SECONDARY SCHOOL SPANISH TEACHERS WERE GIVEN AN IN-SERVICE COURSE IN APPLIED LINGUISTICS. A HISTORY OF THE EXPERIMENT IS OUTLINED AND FOLLOWED IN PART II BY AN EVALUATION OF THE POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE…

SINCE NO TESTS OF SPANISH SPEAKING ABILITY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL WERE AVAILABLE WHEN THE PROJECT BEGAN (1960), IT DEVISED THREE CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED ITEMS TESTING THE SEPARATE ASPECTS OF THE SPEAKING SKILL--PHONETIC ACCURACY, STRUCTURE, AND EASE AND NATURALNESS OF EXPRESSION. A RANDOM SELECTION OF FIFTH-GRADE PUPILS WERE TESTED INDIVIDUALLY,…

Two teaching units present a total of 11 Hispanic folk songs as instructional aids to learning about Hispanic culture, traditions, and language. Designed for students in kindergarten through third grade, the units each contain a teacher's guide. A cassette tape is designed to accompany each unit and is available from the Center for Teaching…

This two-week unit, appropriate for bilingual education settings as well as foreign language programs, deals with the three primary cultural influences found in Mexican contemporary art. The multisensory materials, pragmatic focus, and direct creative student involvement are designed to make it a microcosmic, real-life experience. The first part…

A handbook for use by curriculum supervisors, teachers, and administrators presents guidelines for the establishment, operation, and evaluation of foreign language programs in California. The first part outlines the state's legal provisions for foreign language study while the second section deals with sources of assistance in language programs.…

This guide for FLES Spanish teachers combines a discussion of teaching methods and techniques with appendixes of teaching materials. Story and dialogue approaches are explained and opportunities for the use of Spanish in the classroom are included. Teaching techniques described include pictures and props, tapes, records, TV, games, songs, choral…

This cooperative research project, supported by the Office of Education Bureau of Research, attempts to answer questions on the effectiveness of reading instruction during a sixth grade beginning Spanish program. Major areas studied include: (1) the effects of reading instruction on listening, speaking, and reading skills, (2) the amounts of…

This report describes instructional strategies to decrease anxiety and frustration in the Spanish classroom. Participants were five 7th grade Spanish classes in two suburban middle schools. Student interventions included a study skills guide; partner and group presentations, skits, and activities; and group oral reading. Teacher interventions…

Synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC), more commonly known in the Internet world as "chatting," has become an increasingly popular way to communicate for a variety of purposes. While CMC is still primarily recreational in character, educators are waking up to the possibilities of harnessing this activity for pedagogical…

Researchers worked with French, Japanese, and Spanish immersion teachers in metropolitan Washington, DC elementary schools (grades 1-6) to implement language learning strategies in their classrooms. Workshops, materials, and observations were provided for professional support. Teachers were debriefed on the effectiveness of the teacher training…