LANGUAGE ACQUISITION OF 1980 CUBAN IMMIGRANT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

This is an ethnographic study of the influences of first language, school, peers, and home on language acquisition among 1980 Cuban immigrants in a junior high school.;Participant observation revealed that females who avoided interaction in English were the lowest achievers in oral English. Males and females who were the highest achievers in oral English preferred to speak Spanish, but communicated freely in English.;First language ability was significantly correlated with second language acquisition. Parents' self-rating was significantly correlated with Spanish oral proficiency. Physical education ratings were correlated with English achievement for females, Spanish achievement for males.;Results of the study indicate that those who establish and implement second language program policy should consider the relationship of first language fluency to second language acquisition. First language instruction can be an important component of the language program for limited English proficient students. Schools with populations of these students should consider the entire faculty responsible for their progress. Further research should focus on the role of culturally prescribed sex roles as determiners of language acquisition. Additional study should also include the effects of students' previous experiences in Cuba as an influence in English acquisition.;Participants were seventh- and eighth-grade students who came to the U.S. during the 1980 Cuban exodus. These students spoke Spanish and were in the process of learning English. Forty-one students agreed to individual language testing; 63 students participated in the group tests. Tests in English and Spanish were the Language Assessment Battery III, the Language Assessment Scales II, and Inter-American Reading Comprehension Test III, in Spanish. Students completed language use surveys and participated in individual interviews. Thirty-nine students returned language surveys completed by parents. Four parents were interviewed. Bilingual and ESL teachers rated students' language competence in English and Spanish. Physical education teachers rated them on participation.