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This instructional guide is to be used by teachers in the instruction of "Platero y Yo," written by Juan Ramon Jimenez, one of Spain's foremost poets. A systematic study is provided of movement throughout the text, by analyzing verb tenses, to help novice Spanish literature students grasp the scholastic and psychological interpretations of poetic and metaphorical text. Written in Spanish, "Platero como el primer paso literario" compares the verb tenses used by Jimenez with the development of the story, which parallels the seasons of the year and the cyclical nature of life. (LR)

This guide, in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese, aims to inform parents of students who have learned or are learning English as a Second Language about appropriate approaches for educating children so that they can work with schools to ensure a high quality education for their children. The emphasis is on explaining the laws, schools, and research related to the education of the English language learners (ELL). It is hoped that this information will help parents understand and participate in the education of their ELL child. Covered topics include the following: the benefits of learning two languages, how parents can determine if the school is meeting the academic needs of their children, what the characteristics of effective schooling for ELLs are, how schools determine if a child needs English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) help, the academic requirements of ESL students, federal policies and programs that can assist parents in monitoring the quality of the education schools are providing, a comparison of educational systems in the United States with those in other countries, and where additional information can be found. Thirteen sources of additional resources are provided. (KFT)

A familiar and effective way to provide classroom practice of foreign language skills in a meaningful context is role-playing. One variation, spontaneous group role-playing, offers a bridge between textbook dialogues and real-world dialogues. Especially appropriate for beginning and intermediate students, simultaneous group role-playing is a simulation of real-life activities in which students participate in large groups without rehearsal. This activity is intended as the culminating activity for a unit of study that has included drill and practice of specific vocabulary and structural items. Within the inherently loose structure that allows for creativity and improvisation, the activity also contains controls that direct students to speak about familiar topics, using known grammatical structures. These controls are provided by role cards that briefly outline the group situation, the individual role, and the conversations that students must initiate. The teacher-designed cards can be adapted to almost any textbook and accommodate varying levels of proficiency. After some initial surprise, students generally find such activities both engaging and challenging. A series of cards are presented and procedures for their use are explained. Suggestions for creation of cards are made. (MSE)

A number of model lesson plans that use children's literature to teach content area material are presented. The lessons are designed for instruction in either Spanish or English as a Second Language at the elementary school level; some are in English, and some are in Spanish. Each plan identifies the title and basic bibliographic information about the piece of literature, a synopsis of the story, second language teaching strategies that are useful with it, phonics issues to focus on or activities to conduct, structural/grammatical issues, sight words to be emphasized, complementary stories, appropriate songs and drama to accompany the lesson, and specific related themes and activities that focus on other content areas (mathematics, science, social studies, art and language arts). Some plans contain an additional bibliography. Contains 11 references. (MSE)

This textbook is designed to satisfy the linguistic needs of law enforcement personnel in the United States who deal with Spanish-speaking communities. The text is adaptable to individualized and self-paced programs. The material stresses career-oriented, "need-to-know" Spanish, relevant cultural awareness materials, practical role-playing exercises, and task assignments. Mexican-American terminology is used with footnotes for Puerto Rican variations. It deemphasizes grammar and the solving of grammatical problems. Text material has been thoroughly researched from both a professional and a linguistic point of view, and is based on realistic and authentic situations. All vocabulary is practical and is presented in context with lively cartoon-type visual cues. Dialogue non-verbal cues are in comic strip format with the written text on the open page to the right for easy reference. Content provides for intensive development of oral expression, listening comprehension, and reading knowledge of basic Spanish required in performing specialized functions. Also included are relevant phonetics, vocabulary, and cultural material. (Author/AMH)