(1986). George W. Wingate High School Multilingual Survival Skills Program 1984-1985. OEA Evaluation Report. The Multilingual Survival Skills Program provides instructional and support services to Haitian and Hispanic students. The program emphasizes the acquisition of English language skills, using the native language (Spanish, French, and/or Haitian Creole) to maintain and develop skills. The major goals of the program, in its second year of a three-year funding cycle, are to: (1) develop and implement a pilot program in Haitian Creole native language arts: (1) develop curriculum materials in Spanish for required content-area courses, focusing on the needs of illiterate and semi-literate students; (3) help students pass required courses for graduation, through a combination of bilingual content-area and English as a second language instruction and other necessary services; and (4) provide increased support services as needed. An assessment was conducted of objectives for English language development, native language arts, mathematics, science, social science and attendance. Students met…
(1983). Educational Policy for Linguistic and Cultural Minorities: The State and the Individual. The problem of educational policy for language minorities, particularly those minorities who might be considered oppressed, include the right to education in the minority language. Rights properly considered also carry with them obligations; in this case, minority language speakers would have obligations toward the language of the majority. Two considerations in the area of minority and majority claims and counterclaims relate to economics and to the concept of \mediating structures.\ Economic considerations relate to the costs and benefits of different policies, as evaluated by the different language groups. These evaluations affect the extent to which formally enunciated rights and obligations are honored in practice. With regard to policy, its aim should be to minimize the perceived costs of a pluralistic approach and to maximize the perceived benefits to all concerned. The second set of considerations on \mediating structures\ is shown to be relevant for policies governing the… [PDF]
(1982). Evaluation of the Bilingual Kindergarten and Follow Up Programs: St. Joseph Elementary School, Town of Mount Royal. Third Progress Report. The third progress report is presented on the evaluation of a bilingual kindergarten program and a social studies follow-up program in grades 1 and 2. The focus is on the first cohort, presently in grade 2, on a second cohort in grade 1, and on a third cohort in kindergarten. The purpose of the program was to initiate French instruction in kindergarten in order to prepare students for the integrated social studies program and for eventual immersion in grade 6. The three parts of the report focus on the assessment of pupil achievement; participants, instruments and testing procedures; test results; and evaluation of program objectives. The extensive analyses indicate that pupil progress in content knowledge, in English, and in French was significant. The students had acquired general notions and knowledge in social studies while learning as much English and substantially more French than the pupils following the regular English program. From the point of view of parents and teachers,…
(1981). Title VII Bilingual Preschool Project, 1981-82. Final Technical Report. A demonstration program to serve the needs of children who are identified as limited English proficient (LEP) was developed and implemented. Each of six schools in the Austin Independent School District (AISD) contained a class of 18 students, 3 of whom were non-LEP. The non-LEP children served as English-speaking models for their LEP peers. Instruction was provided in English and/or Spanish, as needed. Instructional activities were oriented toward improvement and development of vocabulary and concepts; English syntax; and visual, auditory, and motor skills. At home, parents conducted at least two one-quarter hour lessons for their children each week. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) was used to measure language and concept development. The Boehm Test of Basic Concepts and the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills were also administered. Results indicated that English language skills improved; there were also gains in Spanish. Appended are separate discussion of the PPVT-R, English;… [PDF]
(1981). French Immersion Programmes in Manitoba: An Evaluation. Final Report. Achievement in French and English language skills and in mathematics is compared among groups of immersion students in Grades 3, 6, and 9 in the province of Manitoba. Comparisons are also made between these groups of immersion students and a sample of students whose native language is French. Different types of programs (early and late, total and partial) offered in different settings are considered in the study. The parents, teachers, and principals of students in the study were asked to respond to questionnaires designed to provide additional information on French immersion programs in Manitoba. The study indicates that the immersion students perform as well as, or better than, the national norms in English and mathematics. French immersion programs have no negative effects on achievement in those subjects. In French language achievement and proficiency, the early total immersion program in an immersion setting produces the best results. The type of program and the setting…
(1982). Matematica 2. Manual do Professor (Mathematics 2. Teacher's Manual). This teacher's manual accompanies a mathematics textbook for second graders, written in Portuguese. Developed from objectives set forth by the National Portuguese Materials Development Center, it follows closely the objectives and methodology of major curricula used in schools of the United States. Consideration was given to the Portuguese child's environment, since this factor is felt to exert a definite influence on the learning process. Attention was also placed on the affective domain, as well as on the moral and cultural values of the child. The thirteen chapters deal with: numeration (0-999); addition with and without regrouping; subtraction with and without regrouping; commutative and associative properties; length, time, weight, capacity, and temperature measurements; money; geometric figures, perimeter, and graphs; fractions; multiplication; divisibility; and word problems. For each lesson, the guide presents (in Portuguese): objectives, introduction, activities, sample… [PDF]
(1976). The Chinese in America. Asia in the Modern World Series, No. l6. In 1965, Congress passed a law making it possible for as many as 20,000 Chinese per year to emigrate to America. Social, economic and cultural problems arose as a result of this decision. The problems in U.S. Chinese communities include: the legal status of the Chinese Americans; how to meet social service and educational needs in Chinatown, New York; and the role of the Catholic Church in Chinese communities. The need for teaching Chinese to Chinese children in American schools is also a matter of concern. In addition to a discussion of these problems, articles on Chinese intellectuals in America, America's debt to Chinese scholarship, and traditionalism and change in a Chinese American community are included. (GC)…
(1981). Towards the Practice of Culturally Relevant Teaching. The central concept underlying the approach and strategies offered here is culture as process, that is, the knowledge people use in their everyday life situations. A presupposition is that all human knowledge is cultural. Conceptual patterns are identified within the learner's cognitive framework which will be of importance in teacher-learner interaction. The topic is then developed in three parts–the theoretical construct, the teacher-learner model, and application of theory. Considering the school and classroom as a culture system, the first part deals with the learning process, different learning styles and \cognitive maps\ or intellectual frameworks, as well as with a variety of cultural backgrounds. The teacher-learner model attempts to provide a procedure by which teachers might narrow the distance between the cognitive maps of teacher and learner, and design the encounter so that the learner would find reception both possible and acceptable. The application of the theory is…
(1981). Music for the Bilingual Classroom: An Interdisciplinary Approach. Music promotes cultural awareness and appreciation as well as improvement in language skills. The six objectives developed for using music in the bilingual classroom have to do with: (1) enhancing self-concept, (2) fostering group identity and cultural pride, (3) building positive intercultural attitudes, (4) providing enriching experiences in oral language development, (5) strengthening linguistic skills, and (6) supplementing content areas. In line with these objectives, a methodology for presenting a song in a foreign language is presented and applied to a popular Spanish song, \De Colores.\ Several follow-up activities are suggested as ways to achieve varied objectives in the areas of oral language development, reading, listening skills, grammar skills, social studies, art, and creative writing. A list of selected resources in music for the Spanish-English classroom concludes the discussion. (AMH)…
(1981). The Assessment of Language Proficiency in Bilingual Children: An Analysis of Theories and Instrumentation. The three parts of a theory used in the design of a language proficiency test–linguistic components, communicative skills, and the sociolinguistic domain–are described in relation to language proficiency and testing models. In line with this discussion, a review of test formats is made with some assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of each one. Finally, a brief overview is provided of several instruments that have been developed to test language proficiency and dominance. In conclusion, test development from a combination of the three theories outlined at the beginning of the study is advocated. (AMH)…
(1979). Beginning Reading In ECE and the Bilingual Classroom. A rationale for teaching beginning reading from a learning theory perspective that is compatible with Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development is presented in this paper. The model offered is based on a linguistic analysis and on current research. The logical thinking skills characteristic of each stage of development proposed by Piagetian theory are related to the model and contrasted with cognitive-based approaches to beginning reading. The continuing public concern for teaching the basic skills is discussed in terms of the three types of knowledge described by Piaget. The paper notes that current research with learning handicapped and culturally different children stresses the importance of differentiating decoding from those tasks appropriately labeled developmental. It concludes with suggestions for applications of these principles to beginning reading, remedial reading, and the bilingual classroom. (Author/FL)…
(1977). 1975-76 LAU Compliance Evaluation Report. Report No. 77-9. This report presents data collected during the 1975-76 school year in Seattle, Washington as a part of the school district's activities to comply with the Lau v. Nichols Supreme Court decision by categorizing students according to language background. The first section of the report outlines the population survey and the methods employed to obtain data. The second section provides statistical data regarding the number and distribution of students with limited English backgrounds, a comparison of academic achievement between English fluent and and limited English ability students, and a comparison of achievement gains between these two groups after the introduction of bilingual services. Also found in this section are descriptions of district offered special language services, English as a Second Language (ESL) or Bilingual Instruction in Required Subject Matter (RSM), estimates of the numbers of students served, by language background, and a discussion of the effects of services on…
(1979). An Evaluation of the PSEN Reading and Bilingual Program 1978-79. The District 6 program for Pupils with Special Educational Needs (PSEN) was designed to provide (1) supplementary reading instruction to English speakers, and (2) bilingual instruction and reading skills, including English as a Second Language (ESL), to Spanish and Greek speakers. A total of 3,856 kindergarten through third grade children and 227 fourth through eighth graders were served by the program. In the reading component, small group and individualized instruction were provided to children deficient in reading skills, following a sequential diagnostic/prescriptive model. The bilingual component of the PSEN program was designed to improve the Spanish or Greek of participants through reading instruction in the child's native language, as well as to improve the child's English language proficiency. The evaluation design for the District 6 PSEN program specified both process and product evaluation, and focused on the degree to which program objectives were being implemented….
(1980). French as a Second Language: A Review of Recent Curriculum Development in Alberta. Alberta Modern Language Journal, v18 n3 p6-22 Spr. This report covers six areas related to the development of French second language (FSL) programs in Alberta: (1) background information on recommendations of the Curriculum Policies Board, including the plan for curriculum revision; (2) characteristics of newly developed French programs; (3) premises underlying the program development, specifically, emphasis on communication skills, the four skills approach, understanding the structure of language, and attention to student-centered learning; (4) the organization of proposed programs in the Curriculum Guides, including rationale and goals, minimum expectancies, and objectives and content; (5) implications of the revised curriculum regarding student achievement, sequential learning, and in-service training for teachers; and (6) conditions necessary for sound second language programs and some questions dealing with second language instruction. Four appendices provide a chart of second language programs, descriptions of programs in FSL…
(1980). Language Proficiency Testing: Let's Listen to What the Kids Say!. In an effort to comply with bilingual instruction requirements, school districts throughout California will soon be involved in testing vast numbers of children to determine language proficiency and language dominance. Many language tests will require a child to repeat a sentence or a phrase in exactly the same manner that is stated by an examiner or on a tape. Examiners with some experience in administering these tests will recognize a tendency of many children to repeat sentences in a manner that is similar but not exactly the same as the original statement, yet in a manner that does not actually alter the meaning of the entire statement. The variations tend to fall into two major categories: changes in syntax and changes in vocabulary. Many of the changes in syntax can be attributed to an ethnic dialect or even a child dialect, such as \The boys was busy,\ for \The boys were busy.\ A sample vocabulary change is the substitution of \dad\ for \father.\ The adult's purpose in the…