Book Description

The nine articles are divided into three general topics: language, cognition, and social development. Eduardo Hernandez-Chavez discusses strategies in early second language acquisition and their implications for bilingual instruction. Eugene E. Garcia, Lento Maez, and Gustavo Gonzales examine the incidence of language switching in Spanish/English bilingual children of the United States. Arnulfo G. Ramirez reviews the assessment of the bilingual proficiency of Mexican American pupils. Edward A. De Avila, Sharon E. Duncan, Daniel M. Ulibarri, and James S. Fleming examine the issues related to predicting the academic success of language minority students from developmental, cognitive style, linguistic and teacher perception measures. Olivia N. Saracho discusses the relationship of teachers' cognitive styles and ethnicity to predictions of academic success and achievement of Mexican American and Anglo American students. The cognitive correlates of bicultural achievement motivation are discussed by Tracy C. Gray. Evie McClintock, Mariluise Prieto Bayard, and Charles G. McClintock examine the socialization of social motivation in Mexican American families. Spencer Kagan discusses social orientation among Mexican American children which provides a challenge to traditional classroom structures. The monograph concludes with a discussion by Rosita Daskal Albert of a study of Mexican American children's and teachers' perceptions and interpretations of behavior. (NQA)