The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify factors impacting second language oral proficiency of native English speaking secondary students in public schools in Texas that had chosen to complete at least two years of traditional classroom Spanish instruction. Further, the study sought to determine the effectiveness of the traditional public school classroom approach in preparing students to become orally proficient in Spanish as a second language. Students enrolled in Spanish III Pre-AP from a school district in southeast Texas participated by answering an eight statement survey and completing the oral proficiency portions of the Woodcock-Munoz Language Survey in Spanish. A purposeful sample of 37 students' results met the pre-determined qualifications and was included in the study. A survey total along with a motivation score and an exposure score were compared to the score on the Woodcock-Munoz Language Survey using Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients. Results of the study demonstrated a small negative correlation between the scores. Based on the Woodcock-Munoz scores, findings also supported a move away from the traditional native speaker approach in the traditional Spanish classroom setting. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]