The author feels that there is no reason to suppose that adults are less capable than children in learning a second language, given adequate opportunity and motivation. In terms of amount learned in comparable time, the adult is about five times as efficient as the child. This is what would be expected of any other kind of intellectual or rational…

The fourth in a series of teacher education units on the disadvantaged pupil discusses Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Appalachians and Southern white migrants, and American Indians. It is noted that the Negroes and whites are members of a subculture of the dominant culture, whereas the Spanish background and Indian pupils are products of…

The author lists steps for constructing a research study guaranteeing "statistically significant results when comparing two populations which differ linguistically." Many of these steps are direct quotations from typical research reports--choose a control group as much like yourself as possible; assume your own dialect is standard; encode all…

A program was established at the Margaret Sheehy School in South Merced, California, to provide social experiences and learning situations aimed at improving the communication skills of the largely Mexican American and Negro student body (grades 1-4). The Special Language Class developed in the program is outlined in this teaching guide. The guide…

Beginning teachers of Navajo children in Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) schools are offered some indications of what to expect of their students in this teacher orientation guide. Characteristics of students and situations are presented for elementary and secondary grades. Helpful hints for the first few weeks of school are given. The importance…

The development of an entry skills behavior package designed as lessons to prepare the culturally divergent children of the Southwestern United States for beginning reading instruction in existing school programs is described. The series of 135 discrete lessons teaches auditory discrimination, associative vocabulary, listening comprehension,…

This study focused on two methodological issues by testing for discriminant validity in a multitrait-multimethod matrix which contrasted the set of estimates obtained from two methods and the "regression weights" derived from each subject's estimates from the second method. In order to change the conceptions of social behavior held by persons from…

An informal survey, conducted by the Colorado State Library, revealed few real efforts to serve the Spanish-surnamed beyond the minimal provision of Spanish language materials. To improve this situation, Colorado State College held a federally supported institute in June, 1969. Eight teams of participants were selected for the program, a team…

The recent activity of anthropologists whose primary interest are in education and of educators whose orientation is anthropological suggests this division of labor: The first division, "anthropology and education," is the most expansive and the least specific. A second, "anthropology in education," concerns the anthropological presence, whether…

The objective of this Learning Activity Packet (LAP) is to familiarize the student with Indians who lived in the Eastern Region of present day Canada and the United States. Indian life in the past, how it has changed, and the needs of these people today provide the basis of the LAP. Five learning objectives, each covering particular aspects of the…

Patterns of sex and socioeconomic differences in aptitude and achievement were compared among eight countries. A universal pattern appeared in which higher status children scored better than lower status children in aptitude, achievement, and school grades. Peer reputation largely ran the same way, with mild exceptions. The social differences in…

Presented is a condensed evaluation report from the National Advisory Council on the Education of Disadvantaged Children relating to 1970-71 school year programs funded under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Title I. The major foci of the Title I report are parent involvement and accountability, school finance, state discretion and…

In comparing the teaching of English in the Soviet Union and in Puerto Rico, the author notes that English language instruction in the Soviet Union is characterized by well-trained teachers, good facilities, and an emphasis on practical phonetics, although writing skills are not up to contemporary standards. People are avid and enthusiastic…

The successful English-as-a-second-language reading teacher must understand the cultural background of her students very well and must take such circumstances into account in the presentation of and the approach to materials. Following a good basic teaching model is equally important. Evaluation of the reading program must consider the students'…

This curriculum guide is presented as a supplement to the text "Learning Spanish the Modern Way, Book 2" (lessons 15-23). Topics included are designed for the level-2 program by the New York State syllabus and emphasize cultural aspects of life in Spain and Mexico. The importance of Spanish, geography of Mexico and Spain, Spanish influence in the…