This Spanish language book makes a contribution in Spanish linguistics by describing lexico-grammatical features of Spanish in oral and written texts in everyday and academic contexts, as it is used by proficient speakers of the language and realized by bilingual students while developing advanced literacy in Spanish. It also addresses the situation of Spanish as the second most used language after English in the United States. It will be of use to advanced students of Spanish or teachers of Spanish and other practitioners who would be interested in using the tools of functional grammar in Spanish for text analysis and interpretation. The ultimate goal of this study is to identify and describe the features of Spanish academic language which impact students success in their pursuit of advanced literacy.