Rosowsky, Andrey (2000). Reading and Culture: The Experience of Some of Our Bilingual Pupils. English in Education, v34 n2 p45-53 Sum. Explores the nature of reading for meaning as it affects the reading abilities of secondary-age bilingual pupils. Discusses cultural schemata theories which seek to account for the influence of culture on the reading process; links these to a school-based study. Illustrates the importance of cultural determinants on the understanding of text and suggests possible strategies for overcoming potential textual difficulties. (SC)…

Haritos, Calliope; Nelson, Katherine (2001). Bilingual Memory: The Interaction of Language and Thought. Bilingual Research Journal, v25 n4 p605-26 Fall. A study examined how languages affect memory for narrative. Forty bilingual children aged 8-9 listened to a story in either English or Greek, and then retold it in English or Greek. Unexpectedly, children who heard the story in English and retold it in Greek had significantly better story recall than other groups. Educational implications are discussed. (Contains 44 references.) (Author/TD)…

Hadi-Tabassum, Samina (2005). The Balancing Act of Bilingual Immersion. Educational Leadership, v62 n4 p50-54 Dec 2004-Jan. Hadi-Tabassum believes having a separate life context for each language she learned in childhood enabled her to switch easily among five different tongues. She states that the success of dual immersion bilingual programs is largely dependent on whether they immerse students in each of the involved languages separately and help students have a discrete context for the use of each language. It is essential that students and teachers work exclusively in Spanish or exclusively in English, for example, during certain times of day or for certain content areas. Although all subject matter should be taught at least in partially in both languages, class discussions, assignments, and materials–right down to daily agendas–should never mix the two. The author gives an overview of two different theories of how two languages are developed. The language independence theory states that each language develops and resides in its own separate area of the brain, whereas the language interdependence… [Direct]

Arce, Josephine (2004). Latino Bilingual Teachers: The Struggle to Sustain an Emancipatory Pedagogy in Public Schools. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, v17 n2 p227-246 Mar-Apr. This study examines how socially conscious bilingual Latino educators, specifically prepared to teach underserved children, resist multiple layers of hegemonic structures. The participants are five beginning Spanish bilingual teachers who teach in urban and semi-rural elementary schools. The study explores how their resistance unfolds as they develop and become critical educators and how their presence in schools provides children with the potential to develop social consciousness. This participatory research design uses dialogue as a tool to identify the problem, to facilitate the emergence of voice, to construct new knowledge, and to take action. Several themes surface: (1) the isolation of bilingual teachers, (2) the manifestations of power relations among students, (3) the use of a culturally bound pedagogy, (4) the countering of hidden curriculum through critical pedagogy, and (5) development of identity and voice for both students and teachers. The participating Latino teachers… [Direct]

Clark, Ellen Riojas; Flores, Belinda Bustos (2004). A Critical Examination of Normalistas' Self-Conceptualization and Teacher-Efficacy. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, v26 n2 p230-257. Prior to entering a U.S. bilingual teacher preparation program, Mexican teachers (\normalistas\) were assessed regarding their ethnic identity, self-conceptualization, and teaching efficacy. The findings indicated that normalistas' ethnic identity is tied to country of origin, rather than their adopted country. Five salient conceptualization factors were identified: personality (\caracter\), interests, occupational activity, interpersonal style, and moral worth. The multivariate regression analysis of self-concept and teacher efficacy constructs showed that the participants' view of self, specifically character, and moral worth may affect their teacher efficacy (p [is less than] .05). Researchers suggest that teacher preparation programs focus on the development and enhancement of normalistas' sociopolitical awareness to ensure understanding of U.S. language minority students' educational needs…. [Direct]

Met, Myriam (1993). Foreign Language Immersion Programs. ERIC Digest. Immersion is defined as a method of foreign language instruction in which the regular school curriculum is taught through the medium of the language. The foreign language is the vehicle for content instruction; it is not the subject of instruction. Different questions pertaining to the following subjects are answered: (1) long-range goals of a program, (2) eventual effects on verbal and mathematical skills in English, (3) keys to successful programs, (4) advantages and disadvantages of total and partial immersion, (5) the best grade level to begin a program, (6) the commitment required for participants and their parents, (7) program staff, (8) materials used, (9) effect of immersion programs on existing foreign language programs, and (10) the number of students a school should plan for. (Contains 16 references.) (AB)… [PDF]

Deering, Paul D.; And Others (1993). An Examination of Teacher Thinking during a Collaborative Effort To Improve Elementary Cooperative Learning Literacy Instruction. Growing numbers of teachers are turning to cooperative learning methods for literacy instruction, yet recent studies suggest that teachers hold theories of cooperative learning which are unrelated, or even antithetical, to helping students learn to become strategic, independent readers. This paper reports on a study that examined seven teachers' thinking and its relation to classroom actions regarding the use of cooperative learning for literacy instruction in a bilingual elementary school. Data were collected from interviews with participants at the beginning and middle of the school year, classroom observations consisting of written fieldnotes describing instruction and the social context, post-lesson interviews with selected students, and educator-researcher staff development meetings. Findings indicated: (1) teachers' beliefs about teaching, literacy learning, and cooperative learning were compatible with a social constructivist learning perspective (Vygotsky, 1978), but were… [PDF]

Padron, Yolanda N.; Weaver, Laurie R. (1994). Writing Instruction for Limited English Proficient Students: A Survey of Teachers' Perceptions. A survey investigated the attitudes of 52 elementary school teachers of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students concerning their preference for product- or process-oriented writing strategies for this population. The teachers were administered a questionnaire on which they indicated preference, on a four-point scale, for 28 product- and process-oriented writing strategies identified as most commonly used by English-monolingual and bilingual students during the composing process. Results indicate the teachers perceived the process-oriented strategies as most important for teaching LEP students, in contrast to earlier studies that suggest process-oriented writing strategies are little used in the English-as-a-Second-Language classroom. In addition, years of teaching experience had little effect on preference for process-oriented vs. product-oriented strategies. (Author/MSE)… [PDF]

Rippberger, Susan (1988). Nicaragua: Educational Policy for Ethnic Minorities. Since taking power, the Sandinista government has made a commitment to educating all Nicaraguans. Under its direction, literacy increased from approximately 50 to 88 percent. Thousands of new teachers were hired, and the number of elementary schools doubled. The official language is Spanish, and the dominant culture, Mestizo (mixed Spanish and Indian). In Nicaragua's coastal Caribbean Region there are several ethnic Indian groups, among which are the Miskito and Sumo, who maintain their own language and unique way of life. The indigenous population has resisted immersion into the national culture, and the use of Spanish as the language of instruction. As a result, the government has made an effort to accommodate their specific educational needs. Native Miskitos and Sumos are trained as instructors to teach in their own area in the native language. Materials have been specially prepared to reflect the Indian language and culture in an effort to make education more relevant. A 14-item… [PDF]

Cummins, Jim; And Others (1982). Linguistic Interdependence among Japanese and Vietnamese Immigrant Students. Final Report. A study was designed to investigate the nature of language proficiency and its cross-lingual dimensions. The focus of the study was on the interdependence hypothesis, that older immigrant students whose first language (L1) cognitive/academic proficiency is better developed on arrival in Canada will acquire English cognitive/academic skills more rapidly than younger immigrant students. The sample was comprised of Japanese children attending grades 2, 3, 5, and 7 of the School of Supplementary Japanese Studies in Toronto and of 45 recently arrived Vietnamese students between the ages of 9 and 17 years. Group and individual testing was done in both native language and English. Results are described separately for Japanese and Vietnamese studies. Data analyses supported the hypothesis that L1 cognitive/academic proficiency would account for a highly significant proportion of variance in second language (L2) proficiency. The data suggest that younger immigrant children tend to replace L1… [PDF]

Lamarre, Nicole (1990). The Experiences of Anglophone Elementary Principals with French Immersion Programs in Alberta. The administration of French immersion program in an elementary school in Alberta, Canada, by anglophone principal with little or no knowledge of French is examined in this study. Interviews with eight anglophone elementary school principals found that a lack of knowledge of French was not perceived as a barrier to effective implementation of French immersion programs, although French language proficiency was viewed as an asset. Essential factors for effective administration of French immersion programs are commitment, understanding of program context, communication, and interdependent relationships. Fifteen implications for practice and eight recommendations for further research are included. Appendices include correspondence and questionnaire samples, and transcript and logbook extracts. (57 references) (LMI)… [PDF]

Kessler, Carolyn; And Others (1987). Empowering Migrant Children: Talking, Writing, Learning. This ethnographic study of 22 bilingual Mexican American fifth grade students in rural Texas examines which pedogogical techniques reduced students' risk of failure. Classroom instruction was based on Cummins' model of community intervention in which story-telling, dialogue journal writing, and bilingual dialogue between teacher and students figure significantly. Twenty-one books, written and compiled by the students in one year, achieved the following goals: they (1) conveyed the importance of writing, (2) developed fluency, (3) showed students that errors are integral to the learning process, (4) provided genuine communicative exchanges, (5) provided a daily reading lesson, (6) addressed individual needs, (7) developed a positive self-image, and (8) created a sense of success. Pre- and post-test scores on the initial reading inventory revealed achievement gain of three years during this one-year program. Students' statements of their future plans suggested that their self-esteem…

Goldman, Susan R.; Reyes, Maria (1983). Use of Prior Knowledge in Understanding Fables in First and Second Languages. Children's understanding of fables and the degree to which knowledge used by the child to understand first language input is also used to understand second language input were studied. In addition, the way that such a relationship changes as the second language is acquired was examined. Students in Spanish-English bilingual programs in kindergarten through fourth grade and other children in monolingual English classrooms were presented Aesop's fables and asked to retell the fables and to answer inferential comprehension questions. For all students, questions and recall performance were positively correlated, with the questions demonstrating higher performance than the recalls. For the students in the bilingual programs, recall and question performance were comparable in both Spanish and English, once basic auditory and orthographic parsing skills were mastered in English. Performance in first languages (Spanish for the bilinguals; English for the monolinguals) was comparable at each…

D'Alu, Maria Jose Miranda de Sousa (1985). Matematica 3. Manual. This teachers manual accompanies a mathematics textbook, written in Portuguese, for third graders. It closely follows the objectives and methodology of the major curricula used throughout the schools in the United States. The 11 chapters deal with: numeration (0-999,999); addition with and without regrouping; subtraction with and without borrowing; commutative and associative properties; length, time, weight, capacity, and temperature measurements; money; geometric figures; perimeter and graphs; fractions; multiplication; division; and word problems. For each chapter the guide contains a discussion of objectives, an introduction, vocabulary, activities, an evaluation, a review, and answers to problems in the textbook. (RH)…

(1980). Guia para la ensenanza de las artes del lenguaje espanol. Nivel Elemental Intermedio L. Edicion Experimental = Curriculum Guide for Spanish Language Arts. Elementary Level L. Field Test. Working Draft. A curriculum guide series developed by the City of Chicago's Board of Education to help native Spanish speaking, limited English speaking students develop Spanish language reading skills as a preliminary step in teaching English reading skills consists of 13 books. The level L corresponds to grade 6 instruction. The approach used is learner-centered and skill-oriented, presenting behavioral objectives for reading skills and subskills to be taught. At each level, four reading skill strands are emphasized, presented in this sequence: word attack, comprehension, study skills, and literature. Within each skill category are listed the fundamental subskills to be mastered to attain reading competency, followed by a specific behavioral objective, classroom instructional strategies and activities related to the objective, and suggested criteria for evaluating learners' performances. All objectives are arranged from the most fundamental to the most advanced, and objectives crucial to mastery…

(1979). Guia para la ensenanza de las artes del lenguaje espanol. Nivel Elemental Adelantado M. Edicion Experimental = Curriculum Guide for Spanish Language Arts. Elementary Level M. Field Test. Working Draft. Unedited Edition. A curriculum guide series developed by the City of Chicago's Board of Education to help native Spanish speaking, limited English speaking students develop Spanish language reading skills as a preliminary step in teaching English reading skills consists of 13 books. The level M corresponds to grade 7 instruction. The approach used is learner-centered and skill-oriented, presenting behavioral objectives for reading skills and subskills to be taught. At each level, four reading skill strands are emphasized, presented in this sequence: word attack, comprehension, study skills, and literature. Within each skill category are listed the fundamental subskills to be mastered to attain reading competency, followed by a specific behavioral objective, classroom instructional strategies and activities related to the objective, and suggested criteria for evaluating learners' performances. All objectives are arranged from the most fundamental to the most advanced, and objectives crucial to mastery…

(1980). Guia para la ensenanza de las artes del lenguaje espanol. Nivel Elemental Adelantado M. Edicion Experimental = Curriculum Guide for Spanish Language Arts. Elementary Level N. Field Test. Working Draft. A curriculum guide series developed by the City of Chicago's Board of Education to help native Spanish speaking, limited English speaking students develop Spanish language reading skills as a preliminary step in teaching English reading skills consists of 13 books. The level N corresponds to grade 8 instruction. The approach used is learner-centered and skill-oriented, presenting behavioral objectives for reading skills and subskills to be taught. At each level, four reading skill strands are emphasized, presented in this sequence: word attack, comprehension, study skills, and literature. Within each skill category are listed the fundamental subskills to be mastered to attain reading competency, followed by a specific behavioral objective, classroom instructional strategies and activities related to the objective, and suggested criteria for evaluating learners' performances. All objectives are arranged from the most fundamental to the most advanced, and objectives crucial to mastery…

Natalicio, Diana S. (1976). Reading and the Bilingual Child. Problems occur in teaching English to the child whose native language is not English because of a lack of relevant research about the specification of the native language and the transfer of reading skills from one language to another. Most bilingual instruction in the United States is based on either the "native language approach" (literacy is achieved in the child's native language first) or the direct method (the second language, at least initially, is the primary language of instruction). Another problem is that it is not clear how the successful transfer of reading skills occurs across two languages, or what factors are relevant to such transfer. Some alternate approaches to bilingual reading instruction (especially Spanish-English) include reading in the standard native language, using dialect readers, and teaching reading in English but letting children use their native language in informal discussions among themselves. The fact that there is not a "best"… [PDF]

Cabello, Beverly (1981). Potential Sources of Bias in Dual Language Achievement Tests. Potential sources of bias in dual language achievement tests were identified and examined. Content, concepts, and vocabulary presented in monolingual English curricula may differ drastically from those presented in bilingual curricula. The Spanish or English versions of the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills (CTBS) were administered to 1259 students in 81 second, third, fifth and sixth grade classrooms in 5 California school districts. Statistical and content analysis provided evidence of three possible sources of bias: problems inherent in translation, the match between the test and instructional material, and intervening cultural values. Dual language tests also raise the question of whether, and how, standard achievement tests can match the wide variety of curricula used by American schools. Further empirical studies are necessary to isolate the cause of bias for individual test items, whether in the CTBS or any other test. Studies providing more information concerning biases… [PDF]

Johnson, Charles F., Jr. (1982). Lau vs. Nichols Implementation Study within the Alhambra City School District. In 1976, two California school districts, the Alhambra City School District (for elementary students) and the Alhambra High School District, were cited for noncompliance with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Lau v. Nichols, which requires public schools to teach non- and limited-English speakers in their own languages while they learn English. This report discusses the Lau decision, describes the districts' response to the federal citation, and evaluates the programs implemented. The author draws on statistical and documentary data and on interviews with district educators, professional specialists, and program committee members. Following a lengthy discussion of the Lau case, the report presents a detailed chronology of the districts' development of their bilingual programs, from March 1976 to June 1977. Program implementation for the districts' Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese speakers is described. Criticisms of the programs revealed in a survey of 52 district teachers are…

Sung, Robert (1980). Fa Keih Reading Series, Book 2. This packet of materials contains three elements: (1) "Teachers's Guide to Fa Keih Reading Series, Book 2"; (2) "Fa Keih Reading Series, Book 2," the student text; and (3) "Criterion Referenced Test" to accompany the student text. The reading series is designed for students who are interested in continuing to learn Chinese at the secondary level. This set of materials is intended primarily for grade 8. The introductory material in the teacher's guide is in English; otherwise, the texts are in Chinese. (AMH)…

Kotesky, Arturo A. (1979). Implementing College Regular Vocational Programs into a Bilingual Mode– Two Instructional Design Models in Operation. Prepared as a handout for a poster session at the 1979 convention of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, this set of materials includes descriptions of the Bilingual Access Programs at Elgin Community College, a general systems approach for bilingual access programs and Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL) materials, a bilingual access instructional delivery system, an instructional design model for developing bilingual access support materials, and an instructional design model for developing ESL/VESL components (two sequential models). Also included are a sample of instructional analysis sheets, a sample list of Spanish/bilingual instructional aids, a sequence of milestones within the bilingual access instructional design process, a list of programs to be implemented in a bilingual mode, a sample of bilingual learning aids, and a sample of a VESL lesson. (Author/JEG)…

Lombardo, Maria (1979). Research Studies on the Approaches to Beginning Reading for Bilingual Students. This survey of research on bilingualism focuses on a controversy over methods for teaching reading, namely, should non-readers achieve literacy in their native language before learning to read a second language? As a report of the results of various studies shows, both proponents of prior native language literacy and proponents of prior second language literacy have much evidence to support their views. It is concluded that social, economic, and political issues have been the confounding factors in determining which is the more desirable precedence. The experimental design of a number of studies is also called into question. It is concluded that further research must be conducted with firm control of variables in order to determine if one method is in fact superior to the other. A compilation of studies on the subject of reading alternatives for bilingual students and a bibliography are appended. (JB)…

Mensoff, Olga (1977). Akutanax (Akutan). Villagers on the Aleutian island of Akutan must share their island with a volcano, an active, smoking one that soils clothes hanging on the clothesline and in winter blackens the snow. Winters are particularly hard on the island. Strong winds blow and as ice clogs the creek the town's electric supply is cut off in February and March. Akutan is a long village, located near a bay, and it contains 20 houses, a small village store, and a 12-student school. Twice a year a priest comes to Akutan's church. In the summer a crab processing ship comes and everyone from the village works on the ship for the three months of its stay. Akutan has no airport, but at least once a week a sea plane brings mail and freight; a mail boat also sails from Kodiak. There are no telephones on Akutan; outside communication is by radio. Hunting on the island is limited to birds: ducks, geese, and ptarmigan. At one time there were many fish around Akutan, but now very few remain. This scenario of life on Akutan…

Gomez, Roger W. (1975). Statement by Roger W. Gomez, Legislative Assistant, LULAC National Education Service Centers, Accompanied by Helena A. Grady, Director of Research, LULAC National Education Service Centers before the Committee on Education and Labor, Select Subcommittee on Education on Reauthorization of the National Institute of Education, November 4, 1975. A non-profit, non-partisan educational organization, the League of United Latin American Citizens National Education Service Centers (LNESC) is engaged in the field of higher education, with primary emphasis on Hispanic Americans. One of LNESC's objectives is to make institutions of higher education, foundations, corporations, and Federal agencies more aware of the educational problems faced by Hispanic Americans, with intent to bring about an increased concentration of resources on the problems. However, due to the lack of research data available, it is difficult to remedy the serious educational problems confronting Hispanics. This void reflects the need for educational research efforts on Hispanics in the various organizational components of the National Institute of Education (NIE) in addition to its current research efforts. Therefore, it is indispensable that the Hispanic American community and its educational problems be understood by NIE. With a more positive relationship…

Herbert, Charles H.; And Others (1972). Aprendemos con Gusto!: Actividades en Espanol para Ninos Bilingues (We Learn with Pleasure!: Activities in Spanish for Bilingual Children). This manual presents a series of lesson plans in the form of task cards which have been designed to implement Spanish language usage in the classroom in many areas of instruction. The lesson plans can be used in the first through the sixth grades to promote self-motivated learning among groups of bilingual children. Subjects treated include art, math, reading, science, writing, and social studies. Most of the plans consist of four parts: purpose, preparation of materials, materials, and instructions. The text is in Spanish and English. (SK)… [PDF]

Albo, Javier (1974). Idiomas, Escuelas y Radios en Bolivia. Cuadernos de Investigacion 3. (Languages, Schools and Radios in Bolivia. Investigative Notes Number 3). Bolivia has a multilingual population divided among three language families: Spanish, Quechua, and Aymara. In practice, however, the country has a monolingual system, since Spanish is the language of government, education, and professional and technical fields, and dominates in urban areas. Quechua and Aymara prevail in rural areas and in native music, folklore, and religion. The schools are operated in Spanish, under the theory that linguistic unification will provide equal education and integrate the nation. One result is that education ignores the rural and native identity and reinforces patterns of discrimination and inferiority, when a multilingual-multicultural educational system would be more responsive to the people's needs. For many rural people, radio is a major source of information and entertainment. Although most broadcasts are in Spanish, the few native-language programs attract many listeners and help develop an awareness of the multilingual society, thereby changing… [PDF]

(1973). Modern Languages in School. The Committee for General and Technical Education of the Council of Europe commissioned a comparative study of modern language teaching in European primary and secondary schools, the results of which are presented here. School systems and plans of primary and secondary education in the 21 member states of the CCC are reviewed, along with the languages taught and types of programs used; and the statistics are charted in tables. Frequency and length of language periods in schools are also diagrammed; there is considerable variation in years of study and periods per week, depending on the number of languages taught and the school's emphasis. The average number of pupils per class in all countries ranged between 20 and 30. Everywhere, a main aim of modern language teaching was to give students a practical working knowledge of a language for better international communication and understanding. Efforts are being made to modernize language instruction, and five methods are being used by… [PDF]

(1969). Early Childhood Education Learning System; San Antonio Urban Educational Development Center, 1968-69 Final Evaluation Report. A comparison of effects of three preschool intervention programs designed to prepare disadvantaged Mexican-American children for school is the subject of this study. The San Antonio Urban Educational Development Center (SAUEDC) preschool program (N=16) uses an instructional program built on four structural components: (1) concept-affect formation, (2) development of sensory motor skills, (3) development of language skills, and (4) development of thinking processes. The second program (N=15) is a special Parent-School-Community Involvement project intended to encourage parental action to foster child development. Finally, three San Antonio Day Care Centers (N=14) funded as Head Start programs were examined. The subjects were all 3-year-old Mexican-American children. Each group was pre- and posttested on the Leiter International Performance Scale, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (FORM A) in English, and Peabody (FORM B) in Spanish. Analysis of the test-generated data revealed that… [PDF]

Blossom, Grace A. (1973). The Tolleson Story: The Tolleson Six School Reading Project; A Pilot Project to Help All Students Read Grade Level Textbooks with Adequate Comprehension. This is a report on the first year of a pilot program for building reading comprehension in all subject areas, conducted in six school districts located in a rural area near Phoenix, Arizona, during the school year 1972-1973. Over 50 percent of the high school students were bilingual or bi-cultural. In order to remedy reading retardation, teachers were asked to identify and define difficult vocabulary items and idiomatic phrases and to make copies available to the students. The idea was to bring students up to the level of material rather than to bring the material down to the students' level. The results of this program indicate an average gain in reading comprehension of 3.2 for the freshman class. Teachers felt that the most important result of the program was an improvement in the students' self-image. A copy of the student questionnaire and responses by students as indicated in a preliminary report are included. (LL)… [PDF]