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Organization
The written and oral language sample and written language pro
ficiency measures were used to test the first hypothesis: the relation
ship of first language ability to second language acquisition. The
second hypothesis which looked at the influence of the family,
relatives, and significant community members' influence on second
language learning was tested through the use of student and parent
surveys, student and parent interviews, informant interviews within
the school and community, and participant observation. The third
hypothesis examined observable behavioral differences between students
who were achieving significantly higher and lower on standardized
language measures. The results of these tests were correlated with
ratings of participation in physical education. Thus a variety of
different methods and measures were used to determine students' overall
language proficiency and to observe some of the factors influencing the
acquisition of English as a second language.
Instrumentation
Data were collected through the use of nationally normed,
standardized group and individual tests in English and Spanish, as
well as participant observation, formal and informal interviews, and
surveys. Both parents and students were requested to complete a
survey indicating language preferences and language use (see Appendices D
and E for Student and Parent Surveys), which was developed and modified
from the work of Rodriguez-Brown and El ias-01ivares (1981).