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statistically significant for males and for the group. There was
only a trend toward significance for females. There was no statistical
difference between males and females on Spanish proficiency. While
there was no significant statistical difference between males and
females in English, there was a trend toward significance in the
differences present.
The second hypothesis which posited that parents, family members,
and other significant people influenced second language learning was
accepted. Political influences and attitudes toward language which
were observed in the community and the school environment were docu
mented. Correlations between parents' self-ratings and students' rank
on oral scores was statistically significant. Students' self-ratings
and rank on English scores were also significantly related. Ethno
graphic measures indicate that some female students avoided oral
English communication. Cultural expectations for males provide
opportunities for them to acquire and use English which were not
available for females. More research is required to determine the
extent which cultural expectations and sexual roles influence English
learning.
The third hypothesis posited that students who utilized English
communication opportunities would make significantly more progress in
learning English was accepted. Participant observations revealed that
some students accepted opportunities to speak in English and some
students avoided them. The avoidance behavior appeared to be related
to cultural expectations for sexual roles. The avoidance behavior was
most clearly observable during physical education class. Female
participation in physical education was statistically correlated with