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This paper focuses on language diversity in Chicano speech communities in the United States and its relation to the teaching of Spanish to Chicano bilinguals. Attempts to teach standard Spanish to Spanish-speakers in the United States have been unsuccessful for the most part, because the schools recognize only a single standard of "correctness" that is not always the same as that used in the communities. Attempts to teach Spanish as a mother tongue to Chicano students are reviewed, and the need to establish guidelines for the evaluation of current positions and programs is addressed. The sociopolitical, socioeconomic, and educational experiences of Chicanos are reviewed based on an assessment of the present sociolinguistic situation of Chicanos. This situation consists of a language repertoire with various codes that depart from the Mexican Spanish linguistic tradition, an asymmetrical type of bilingualism, and the use of Spanish viewed as transitional and not valued in the broader society. It is concluded that collaboration between sociolinguists and language instructors is needed since Spanish language instruction for Chicano bilinguals is not equivalent to instruction in a first language. (SW)

The purpose of this paper is to provide classroom teachers with background information about code switching and its role and function within a bilingual community. The many facets of code switching and its varying characteristics are described in some detail, as well as code switching in the classroom and the importance of the teacher's attitude toward this linguistic process. Code switching has been found to be neither random nor meaningless, nor does it necessarily reflect language weakness. Rather, code switching is a device that conveys social information (concerning, for example, role relationships) or that is used as a stylistic process (e.g., to add color or emphasis to an utterance). Code switching also seems to be rule-governed, with mastery of the structure of both languages a prerequisite. Code switching will not usually take place in the monolingual English classroom. In the bilingual Spanish/English classroom, it has been found that (1) code switching takes place primarily during Spanish instruction; (2) students seem to follow a teacher's switching pattern; and (3) Spanish is used essentially to teach the lesson, while English is used for classroom control. The implications for bilingual education are varied and complex. Policies concerning language use in bilingual schools must reflect the goals of the bilingual program. Until such goals are established, teachers should accept code switching as universal and creative verbal behavior among bilinguals. (AM)