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existence of these differences in behavior was documented. The
effect of language policy and attitude toward language on language
learning was not determined. The effect of student behavior in
influencing language use was also documented and appeared to be
significantly related to language learning.
A significant insight in the research was the pattern of
students' behavior which was observed within the school and noted
within the home and community through the use of surveys and inter
views. The behavior which was observed in the school cafeteria where
male Cubans positioned themselves between the female Cubans and the
rest of the students in the cafeteria epitomizes this pattern. As
Erickson (1981) points out, specific social activities such as the
cafeteria behavior reported here can be seen as the manifestation of
important structural patterns of culture. It is not that the cafeteria
is the most important setting for understanding differences in male/
female language acquisition, but the cafeteria setting is a context
that illuminates and makes apparent these differences and their
cultural significance. The pattern of more extensive male interaction
with the English-speaking community, as a result of participation in
activities outside the home,and limited female interaction with English
speakers as a result of staying within the social confines of the home
and home language, was exemplified in the positioning behavior of the
males and females in the cafeteria. During the lunch period, some
females' use of English BICS remained at a low level as males made
purchases and negotiated requests for them. This behavior suggests
a contradiction that must be dealt with by Cuban-Americans. On one
hand, the strategic acculturation needed for economic and social