Minorities have for some time been underrepresented in the technical fields, such as engineering and computer science. This development is known to be caused by a variety of factors, but the primary purpose of this report is to help identify those factors that adversely affect the cognitive development of the technical bilingual student in terms of which are language related and which are not. The results of two projects aimed at elucidating the interconnection between linguistic and mathematical cognitive development are presented. The first is a study of translational mathematics skills among bilingual Hispanic engineering and science students. In the second study, an attempt is made to determine the dependence of algebraic performance upon verbal context. Data were obtained using both written exams and clinical interview techniques. Results indicated several mathematical misconceptions unique to Hispanic students that may originate in linguistic factors. Possible causes and remedies for these misconceptions are discussed. (MP)