The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 established foreign languages as a core curricular content area; however, instructional emphasis continues to be placed on curricular areas that factor into state educational accountability programs. The present study explored whether foreign language study of first-year Grade 3 foreign language students who…

This study examined the effect of first language (L1) phonological awareness on the rate of learning new second language (L2) color terms and the rate of processing old color terms. Two groups of 37 children participated; they differed on L1 phonological awareness measured at Grade 3. At Grade 5, over multiple trials, the children learned new L2…

Discusses an approach to the study of interlanguage that challenges prevailing models of second language acquisition that assume negotiation of meaning is the only causal variable. Examines two notions of language play: ludic language play and rehearsal in private speech. Analysis of classroom interactions among children in a Spanish immersion…

Compares the effects of two visual advance organizers on comprehension and retention of a written passage in a FLES (Foreign Language in the Elementary School) Program: (1) "Video" and (2) "Pictures + Teacher Narrative". Investigators randomly assigned 62 students to 1 one of 2 conditions. "Video" was the more effective organizer of the two. (23…