This study investigates the ways students' disposition toward solidarity can be fostered during a community-based service-learning (CBSL) project performed remotely, not requiring direct contact or interactions with community members. Seventeen students were enrolled in an advanced Spanish grammar course section with a service-learning component…

Portuguese language students in the United States typically also speak Spanish, and Portuguese programs, influenced by ideologies of linguistic purism, ceaselessly battle against its interference. This article describes a qualitative study of the treatment of Spanish utterances--called "taquitos" by participants--in a beginner-level…

For more than 30 years, foreign language instructors have considered approaches to teaching their students about Afro-Latin cultures, yet little research appears to address students' actual awareness of these populations. Using a photo ratings survey, the present study explored the perceptions of postsecondary second language learners and their…

Because reading for meaning only can lead to low rates of second language (L2) vocabulary learning and because previous research has demonstrated the benefits of word retrieval opportunities for intentional L2 vocabulary learning (Barcroft, 2007; McNamara & Healy, 1995a, Experiment 2; Royer, 1973), the present study assessed the effect of…

Many scholars have argued that an intercultural approach to foreign language instruction best reflects the inherent interconnectedness of language and culture. However, abundant evidence of the effectiveness of such an approach is lacking, particularly at the secondary level. This two-year curricular experiment, which took place in two public high…

The aim of this study was to learn from students' frame of reference how they experience foreign language classes. Data include learning diaries written during 2005 for more than 35 weeks (March to November). Subjects were 95 Argentine, Caucasian, mostly female, middle-class, Spanish-speaking College students between 19 and 21 years of age who…

Describes the unique situation of an Anglo Spanish-speaking teacher who is assigned to teach Spanish to a group of non-Spanish-speaking youngsters of Puerto Rican descent. Successful strategies for overcoming the socio- and psycholinguistic barriers of working in this situation are listed as the teacher describes how she created a non-threatening…

The 15-year history of research and application in cooperative learning in primary and middle schools in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Israel is described. A specific application is discussed of some cooperative learning structures in a postsecondary foreign language classroom. (12 references) (Author/LB)

Suggests ways that authentic speech for Spanish-language broadcasts intended for Spanish-speaking audiences in the United States can be used in the classroom to present not only idealized speech of the so called "educated native speaker," but also dynamic and current models of interlocutors from many nations, interacting effectively as…

Discusses national linguistic tensions related to the increasing number of Spanish speakers in the United States. Focuses on a group of language scholars who are engaging in efforts to change or suppress the use of U.S. Spanish, particularly in the domain of Spanish. Asserts that the arguments put forth by this group are based on attitudes of the…

A study of 52 Spanish-speaking English as a second language college students revealed that the din phenomenon (a form of spontaneous mental rehearsal in which words, sound, and phrases are replayed) was very common among subjects and at all stages of language acquisition. (Author/CB)

Examined reactions of anxious and nonanxious foreign language learners to their own errors. Native Spanish speaking students were videotaped as they took part in an English conversation with the researcher and as they watched themselves in the taped interview. Analysis of participants' English interactions and responses to their performances…

Surveyed the make-up of a sample of first- and second-year university-level Spanish learners at a major postsecondary institution in a city with a growing umber of monolingual and bilingual Spanish speakers. Results were used to address questions about learner preparation prior to entering a 4-year university course of study, preferred activities…

Describes a model for situating an English-as-a- Second-or-Other-Language (ESOL) methods course in a Spanish speaking community. Organized ESOL classes for children and adults in a Latino neighborhood that serve as a practicum for university students working for ESOL teaching endorsements and as a service learning project in the methods course so…

Describes a successful reciprocal bilingual exchange program between Anglophone fourth-year high school students of Spanish and native speakers of Spanish in an elementary school. Plans and specific activities are outlined for weekly interactions which serve as a sociocultural and linguistic bridge between the two groups of Spanish speakers. (PMJ)