The role of socio-contextual and social psychological elements in second-language acquisition in bilingual settings is examined among 139 native Spanish-speaking secondary school students. Compared to a Basque-speaking control group, the Spanish-speaking students scored lower on subjective ethnolinguistic vitality, social networks, motivation, and…

Searches for some precision in the discourse of whole language with respect to the role of the teacher as expressed in words such as empowerment, control, predictability, and authenticity. Observes and interprets the practice of two successful whole language teachers to refine understandings of these concepts as they are enacted in classrooms. (MG)

Developmental Sentence Scoring (DSS) is a measure of spoken syntax that provides a numeric variable, provides some developmental data, and serves an organizing function for asking and answering clinical questions. DSS is useful in making diagnostic judgments, selecting goals and planning treatment, and measuring intervention efficacy. Difficulties…

A study of Southeast Asian-American immigrants showed that English writing skills for mainstreamed students were the same at the eighth-, tenth-, and twelfth-grade levels and were the same as nonnative university students. Results suggest that age on arrival was a more important factor than number of years in United States and grade at entry. (21…

This study, with 161 children with and without language learning problems, tested the hypothesis that as children's language development matures, factor-analytic structural changes occur that are associated with measurements of fine-grained auditory discrimination, receptive vocabulary, receptive language, speech production, and 3 performance…

Summarizes current theoretical and practical issues of second-language learning and teaching in the national curricula of Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei Darussalam. Postcolonial developments in each country influence the theory and practice of first- and second-language acquisition. Of importance also are the attitudes and expectations of…

Examines the ability of 10 sixth grade Hispanic bilingual students to construct meaning in dialogue journals and literature logs in their first and second languages. Finds that students are more effective in constructing meaning in dialogue journals than in literature logs. (MG)

A survey of parents of 54 school-age children with prelingual hearing loss being taught through the auditory-verbal approach revealed that 85% of children were estimated to read better than or as well as average normal hearing children. Of 37 children for whom standardized test scores were supplied, 30 scored at the 50th percentile or higher. (JDD)

A study assessed early literacy skills and expressive and receptive vocabulary skills in 39 Head Start children and correlated skills with measures of caregiver/child interactions observed in the home. Degree of caregiver involvement, rate of language interactions, and participation in early literacy activities were related to literacy and…

Highlights qualitative studies from two preschools that view the framework of literacy use as socially constructed and embedded in social and cultural perspectives and practices of communities. Suggests ways to strengthen early-childhood programs, including greater use of writing and drawing materials readily available, additional orientation to…

Twelve school-based speech-language practitioners enlisted the assistance of a university clinical phonologist to implement a research project investigating phonological acquisition. The speech samples of 520 children (ages 2-8) were transcribed. The 3-year-olds had acquired all major phoneme classes except liquids, /l/ was acquired between 4- 5,…

This study compared 20 young deaf children with either exceptionally good or exceptionally poor spoken language for their hearing loss, age, and intelligence. Factors associated with high performance included earlier use of binaural ear-level aids, better educated mothers, auditory/verbal or auditory/oral instruction, reliance on spoken language…

Analyzes data on the acquisition of German by Italian and Spanish speakers. Findings reveal that children learning a first language and adults learning a second language build up syntactic structure in much the same manner, and propose that the weak continuity approach of language acquisition accounts for all instances of syntactic acquisition.…

Explored the relation between types of peer behavior in young children to children's level of intention understanding. Found level of intention understanding predicted types of overtures made, types of objects offered, monitoring of partner responses, partner compliance, and types of speech acts addressed to partners. (Author/DLH)

A study examined the causal effects of distal and proximal risk factors for the use of gateway substances by 136 Mexican American adolescents (ages 11-15) identified with learning disabilities. Factors included peer delinquency, school satisfaction, self-esteem, language acculturation, socialization acculturation, self-reported delinquency,…