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To increase male motivation to learn additional languages studies have suggested teaching males in single-sex second and foreign language classes (Carr & Pauwels, 2006; Chambers, 2005). Despite the reported benefits of this unique arrangement, a review of literature found no related research conducted in Canada or the United States. To address this lack of research, a study was conducted in the spring of 2008 to investigate the impact of single-sex instruction on student motivation to learn Spanish. Using Gardner's model of second language motivation (1985), 57 high-school students studying Spanish in either single-sex or coeducational classes completed a pre and post questionnaire to gauge their motivation to learn the language. Follow-up interviews were also conducted with both students and teachers. Results indicated that while both sexes enjoyed some educational advantages from the single-sex environment, the benefits appeared to be greater for the males than the females. (Contains 4 footnotes and 1 table.)

In this chapter, we explore ways junior faculty navigate the shifting expectations of a university transitioning from research intensive to research extensive status. The experiences of the participants show that finding a balance between the demands of research, teaching, and service create differences among perceptions, expectations, and realities that add increasing pressures. The challenges involved in such a transition are raised as an illumination of the issues for informational and policy considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores the language and identity issues faced by language minority students of color in social and historical contexts in United States. Background of minority students; Details on demographic changes within the United States population; Colonization through language and the transmutation of identities.