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Jose Otaola. Born in Llodio-Laudio, a small town in the Basque Country in Spain. Doctor Otaola has an extensive resume as a researcher and educator. It was the first researcher that held in ponds individuals of Semaprochilodus laticeps (Sapoara) manually feeding them. He studied the life cycle of this fish along the Orinoco River. His Master's thesis in Biology can be read at the Marine Science Library Mayagüez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico. He led for several years the Hydrobiological Station of Guyana, where he established cultivation ponds in Rio Claro in Bolivar State (Venezuela). Short-lived as Vice President of the Foundation La Salle in the state of Nueva Esparta (Margarita Island) that was going through a difficult and problematic time. This moment marks the end of his career in Venezuela. In 1984 he is Associate Director of Studies (Dean) at the Inter American University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo. Introduced several changes that effectively help students. Short after, was named Dean of the same institution in Aguadilla. The most important thing worth mentioning at this time is the establishment of a new study mode Relay (Relevos) consisting in making studies of various subjects in sequence in the same term, not starting all subjects at once, as is traditionally done each semester. This method is still used under the same name or as accelerated courses.

Perhaps the most noteworthy study of his career as an educator is the implementation of educational strategies that help ESL students on line. It can be considered as an important contribution to additive bilingualism, in line with J. Cummins research. The purpose of the study was to measure to what extent additive bilingualism, a process where students learn a second language while continuing to develop proficiency in their first, can enhance the Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency of students. A secondary purpose of this study was to explore if additive bilingualism can enhance subject matter comprehension. The support of additive bilingualism in the online course was done by means of embedded instructional strategies that were borrowed from the practice and research already done in face-to-face courses. Before this study, there was no research in applying these instructional strategies to online courses. Significant differences were found between the treatment and control groups on their English proficiency and subject matter performance. The results indicate that providing instructional strategies that support additive bilingualism enhances Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency and subject matter comprehension. This study also points to directions for future research in this field and discovers important implications for teaching, educational administrators, and commerce.

Cummins, J. (1976). The influence of bilingualism on cognitive growth: A synthesis of research findings and explanatory hypotheses. Working Papers on Bilingualism, 9. 1-43Cummins

Otaola, J. R. (2008). Supporting additive bilingualism of online english as second language (ESL) students through instructional design. Capella University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, http://search.proquest.com/docview/230710603?accountid=14872