Rivera, Charlene; Simich, Carmen (1981). Sociolinguistic/Ethnographic Issues and the Assessment of Bilingual Students' Language Proficiency. A teacher training program was implemented over a 2-year period in cooperation with the Tucson Unified School District, where over 28% of the students have been identified as having a primary language other than English. The goal of the training was to provide a forum wherein teachers and administrators would explore the application of ethnographic/sociolinguistic theories and methodologies as these can be applied to language proficiency assessment practices. The training was implemented in three phases. Phase I was a graduate level course for participating teachers which focused on models of language proficiency, and language proficiency in the bilingual classroom and community. Phase II consisted of the development of field techniques and a teacher observation instrument (TOS). Central to this instrument is a consideration of the social contexts used to describe students' language behavior. Phase III consisted of several stages: identification of issues for field testing of the… [PDF]

Coulopoulos, Diane (1980). Inservice Training of School Psychologists in Nondiscriminatory Assessment of Bilingual Children. The goals of this nondiscriminatory assessment training model are presented in terms of training school psychologists to carry out their tasks with greater sensitivity to the needs of bilingual students and to work with the resources available within the school and the community. The two courses of an inservice program focusing on cultural-ethnic characteristics and its effects on classroom performance are detailed, in which a competency-based model is divided into instructional modules consisting of individual units. The evaluation procedure for the inservice program is also summarized, including an overview of the results which indicated that the major goals of the program were met. (JAC)…

Arvizu, Steven F.; And Others (1978). Demystifying the Concept of Culture: Theoretical and Conceptual Tools, Monograph I. This monograph describes some concepts and methods developed in anthropology which may help parents, teachers, and other educators clarify their own cultural perspectives. Emphasis is placed on the role that these concepts and methods can play in helping educators, particularly bilingual teachers, deal more effectively with culture based educational problems. Specific topics addressed ethnocentrism; (3) ideal culture and real culture; (4) explicit culture and implicit definitions of culture and its personal nature; (2) cultural relativity and ethnocentrism; (3) cultural insider and cultural outsider; and (6) views of culture as culture; (5) cultural insider and cultural outsider; and (6) views of culture as fixed and changing. Taken into consideration is the role of the teacher as a cultural transmitter. The effectiveness of using the cross cultural perspective of anthropology with students and in training programs for administrators and teachers is also discussed. (EB)…

(1975). Super Me/Super Yo. A Bilingual Activity Book for Young Children [and] Guide for Parents, Teachers and Older Brothers and Sisters. This publication is a book for young children, written to help prevent drug abuse. The emphasis is on developing cognitive and emotional attitudes that will prevent drug abuse and other destructive activities. The book offers activities and stories in Spanish and English which are intended to: give children a sense of accomplishment; help children practice making choices; and teach children to understand and express their feelings. The guide that accompanies the activity book provides, in Spanish and English, directions for how to do the activities and suggestions for conversation related to each of the stories and activities. Recommended readings are listed at the end of the guide. (Author/AM)…

Alfaro, Manuel R., Jr.; Hawkins, Homer C. (1972). The Chicano Migrant Child. The paper deals with the culture and background of the Chicano migrant child and with his frustrations and conflicts in encountering the Anglo culture as represented by the school. It is pointed out that the Chicano migrant child, whose home base is in the Rio Grande Valley, lives in either a barrio or, in summer, a migrant camp and has little contact with the Anglo culture until he enters school; that the only contacts his parents have with the Anglo community are with the farmer, grocer, gas station attendant, and clergyman; that upon entering school, the migrant child finds himself in an educational environment which is totally foreign to him; and that after being unable to learn because of his inability to understand English, the Chicano migrant child usually does not return to school. Suggestions to correct the problem and to provide the child with an equal learning opportunity include (1) that teachers of Spanish-speaking children must understand the migrant child, his… [PDF]

Berwick, Richard; And Others (1978). Beyond Chinatown: The English Language Needs of Vancouver's Chinese Community. TESL Talk, 9, 1, 13-20, W 78. There are insufficient resources for providing instruction in English as a second or additional language for Vancouver's Chinese-speaking adult population. A pilot program designed to reach this population is described. The first volume of the series "Practical English," used in San Francisco, was revised for the pilot project. (SW)…

Loucky, John Paul (2003). Enhancing Japanese College Students' English Reading and Vocabulary Skills by Using CALL Innovations. This article summarizes software which can help to enhance both local and specific reading skills (often done through what is known as intensive reading) and global or general reading skills (known as extensive reading). Although the use of computerized bilingual dictionaries (CBDs) and translation websites of various types does not appear to result in faster acquisition and better retention and productive activation of new target language vocabulary than what is possible for students using only bilingual book dictionaries, these findings have been limited to several hundred students studied so far. This article asserts that more research should be done on the beneficial language learning effects of using various computer assisted language learning reading software along with CBDs, especially when these are used more systematically to enhance specific essential lexical steps as recommended by the "Depth of Lexical Processing Scale." (Contains 29 references.) (SM)… [PDF]

Baldwin, Leslie D. (1997). Negotiating Meaning in a Deaf Bilingual Setting. A qualitative study was undertaken in a bilingual school for the deaf to examine how meaning is negotiated during literacy events in this setting. Analysis was conducted with reference to Vygotsky's theory of the Zone of Proximal Development, similar to the theory of scaffolding, in which one who is more "expert" enables one or more "apprentices" to learn or do more than they could on their own. Data were gathered through classroom observation, teacher interviews, and documentation of students' hearing status. The three teacher informants were third-, seventh- and ninth-grade teachers. It was found that each teacher used different kinds of leading (scaffolding) within routines to achieve linguistic purposes. One teacher's method featured basic development and awareness of language and communicative competence in the context of emerging literacy. A second approach was the use of discussion and discovery to help students negotiate meaning and develop metalinguistic… [PDF]

Reyhner, Jon (2003). Native Language Immersion. This paper describes the benefits of indigenous mother tongue immersion programs, examining the Total Physical Response approach to immersion for beginning learners and focusing on the development of Maori and Hawaiian mother tongue language immersion programs. The paper discusses the importance of immersing students in a language-risk environment, noting that an effective natural approach to immersion is based on four principles: comprehension precedes production, students learn new language in stages, the objective of language learning is to be able to carry out a conversation in that language, and classroom activities need to lessen student anxiety. It cautions that it is very important to introduce English early on in bilingual programs in the United States and that the idea of never speaking English can be overdone. It also questions delaying English instruction for a considerable period, suggesting that bilingual programs should be fully bilingual with a strong English… [PDF]

Gottlieb, Margo (1999). The Language Proficiency Handbook: A Practitioner's Guide to Instructional Assessment. This guide is useful for pre-kindergarten educators who work with second language students who wish to document their students' language development over time. Although the purposes may vary among various practitioners and audiences, overall this handbook is intended to provide guidance in how to capture students' language proficiency in reliable and valid ways through instructional assessment activities. This handbook is built around a series of rubrics that serve as documentation forms for varied methods of assessment. The rubrics, representing holistic scales and focused-analytic matrices, cover four basic areas of language proficiency: listening; speaking; reading, and writing. Whenever possible, the connection between language and content is made. The instructional assessment ideas described suggest pathways towards second language learners' attainment of Illinois state English language learning goals: reading with understanding and fluency; writing to communicate for a variety… [PDF]

Florio, David H. (1981). Questioning the Federal Role in Educational Research. Educational Researcher, v10 n4 p22-24 Apr. Reviews the Reagan administration's proposed budget cuts for education, educational research, and social science research. Holds that examples used to bolster the administration's criticisms of social and behavioral research come from the late 1960s/early 1970s, and ignore federally funded work currently focusing on educational practice, policy, and finance issues. (GC)…

Hartley, Elizabeth A.; Johnson, Pam (1995). Toward a Community-Based Transition to a Yup'ik First Language (Immersion) Program with ESL Component. Bilingual Research Journal, v19 n3-4 p571-85 Sum-Fall. In the small Alaskan village of Manokotak, the community participated in the school's shift from an "English submersion" program to Yup'ik immersion plus ESL. Discusses community involvement and participative planning, first-year goals, scheduling of instructional time in each language, staff development, materials development, cultural relevance versus competency based education, student evaluation, and problems during the change process. (SV)…

Annahatak, Betsy (1994). Quality Education for Inuit Today? Cultural Strengths, New Things, and Working Out the Unknowns: A Story by an Inuk. Peabody Journal of Education, v69 n2 p12-18 Win. Addresses the issue of how educators can provide the best understanding of quality education for Inuit people, emphasizing cultural influences, culture conflict, and language of instruction (English versus native languages). The article examines how to develop programs and instructional materials in Inuktitut that will support learning from both cultures. (SM)…

Snyder, Liz (1995). Learning Me Your…Science Language. Multicultural Teaching, v13 n3 p13-15 Sum. Demonstrates how science instruction can only be effective when teachers are aware of differences in children's language and their culture. The author argues that it is important to recognize when linguistic or cultural understandings lead children to wrong answers that to them seem totally logical. (GR)…

Duff, Patricia A. (1991). Innovations in Foreign Language Education: An Evaluation of Three Hungarian-English Dual-Language Schools. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, v12 n6 p459-76. The results of the first year of an ongoing evaluation of Hungarian-English dual-language programs in Hungary are reported, including foreign language proficiency for secondary school students, parent and student attitudes and motivation regarding participation in the programs, and problems in implementing the immersion model in Hungary. (seven references) (Author/LB)…

Graham, Lesley P.; And Others (1996). Are the Culturally Diverse Needs of Children Being Met in Special Education?. A mail survey was conducted of 149 students (grades 4-8) with special needs in 19 school systems in inner city, suburban, and rural settings to determine their knowledge of cultural diversity and to identify their educational needs in this area. Results are organized around the seven areas of multicultural emphasis in the survey: (1) knowledge of folklore; (2)multicultural aspects of everyday life; (3) social studies; (4) leadership; (5) traditions; (6) the arts; and (7) sports and leisure activities. The study concluded that all these cultural diversity areas are crucial for the student with special needs, that students with special needs did not demonstrate a broad cultural knowledge in any of the seven areas explored, and that teachers need to review the quality of information presented in the classroom as it relates to the understanding and acceptance of cultural diversity. Much of the document consists of appendices which provide a copy of the questionnaire and detailed…

(1997). Cumberland County College, AACC Progress Report. In 1996, Cumberland County College (New Jersey) participated in the American Association of Community Colleges' Exploring America's Communities project, which works to strengthen the teaching and learning of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. The primary goals of the college's action plan were: emphasizing greater pluralism, assigning writing on pluralism and American identity in the developmental writing courses, developing a course on 20th century American culture, and introducing an American Studies option. Two survey courses of American literature were revised to reflect pluralism and identity themes. Various poems, narratives, journals, orations, myths, and tales were read for the Colonial, Reason and Revolution, Romanticism, Realism, and the 20th century periods. In two U.S. history courses, the syllabi were revised and new materials purchased to incorporate more viewpoints. Students in developmental English classes had writing assignments on… [PDF]

(1997). Indian Hills Community College, Exploring America's Communities. Progress Report. In 1996, Indian Hills Community College (Iowa) participated in the American Association of Community Colleges' Exploring America's Communities project, which works to strengthen the instruction of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. The college's action plan was initially comprised of three parts: (1) establishing a course addressing current identity and cultural pluralism issues; (2) creating workshops to acquaint faculty with these issues and assist the implementation of the issues in their classes; and (3) organizing a cultural fair, comprised of lecturers, artists and crafts people. Each of these goals was accomplished and more have been added. A Native American Studies course was implemented and has been popular with students. A cultural fair and a trip to a reservation were held, and the library's Native American collection was developed. Many faculty members have enthusiastically participated in the project, accepting the challenges and extra… [PDF]

(1997). Santa Rosa Junior College, Exploring America's Communities. American Cultures Project. Progress Report. In 1996, Santa Rosa Junior College (California) participated in the American Association of Community Colleges' Exploring America's Communities project, which works to strengthen the teaching and learning of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. The college's goals included the following: providing an ongoing forum where the various humanities disciplines can discuss their varying perspectives; initiating a college-wide conversation of American values and culture; promoting, enriching, and refining Humanities offerings; and providing the means and inspirations for faculty to develop courses to fulfill the proposed Intercultural Degree Requirement. To accomplish these goals, the American Cultures Program (ACP), composed of a public lecture series, a learning community course on American culture, and faculty study group, was developed. The learning community enrolled quickly and students reported having a very valuable experience. Although both the… [PDF]

(1997). Tarrant County Junior College District, Exploring America's Communities. Progress Report. In 1996, Tarrant County Junior College District participated in the American Association of Community Colleges' Exploring America's Communities project, which works to strengthen the teaching and learning of American history, literature, and culture at U.S. community colleges. The primary goals included the following: (1) to develop an inclusive, non-traditional approach to the teaching of American literature, history, and culture; (2) to add courses across the curriculum that would be committed to the multi-cultural theme; and (3) to create a unified learning community. Steps taken to develop Common Ground courses included preparing students, faculty, and administration for the new courses, developing a newsletter, presenting an outline of the project to administrators and faculty, and holding a session where team members could share their ideas and materials. The teaching team now has a feel for what works and what does not, and the faculty's decision to relate historical events… [PDF]

Nixon, Lois LaCivita, Ed.; Secundy, Marian Gray, Ed. (1992). Trials, Tribulations, and Celebrations: African-American Perspectives on Health, Illness, Aging, and Loss. This book is an anthology of short stories, narratives, and poems exploring aspects of the life cycle (birth, illness, aging, loss and grief) from an African-American perspective. The book is intended to give health care providers and interested others insights into the African-American experience, and to encourage readers to explore the implications of living in and providing services for a multicultural community. The book includes fictional and autobiographical literature from a number of noted U.S. writers, including Alice Walker, Langston Hughes, Gwendolyn Brooks, James Weldon Johnson, Sterling Brown, Toni Cade Bambara, Paule Marshall, and Maya Angelou. (DB)…

Holmes, Robyn M. (1995). How Young Children Perceive Race. Sage Series on Race and Ethnic Relations, Volume 12. Young children's knowledge of race and ethnicity is conveyed in their own terms, and how this knowledge affects their social relationships and ideas about procreation is explored. Participant observation, informal conversations, and collecting children's artwork were used to build a picture of race through the eyes of the kindergarten child. Between 1986 and 1992 a visit was made to 5 kindergarten classes with a combined enrollment of 102 children (44 African American, 42 European American, 12 Latino, and 4 of other ethnic background, and 54 girls and 48 boys). Although there were differences in social demographics and racial variability in these urban and suburban schools, the tone and atmosphere of the classes were similar. No interracial or intraracial physical confrontation was ever observed. The general lack of racial tension observed with these young children from racially diverse schools was facilitated by the age and cognitive abilities of the children studied, and school…

Dunn, Susan Strong (1997). [Global Studies]. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad, 1997 (India). This unit contains a sampling of lessons from a unit on India designed for ninth-grade students. Sections of the unit include: (1) "Geography of India"; (2) "Comparison of Major Religions"; (3) "The Caste System"; (4) "Empires of India"; (5) "Gandhi and Independence"; (6) "Division of the Subcontinent"; (7) "Environment"; (8) "Caves at Ellora and Ajanta"; (9) "Indian Dress"; and (10) "Kum Kum and Bindis." The lessons provide objectives, procedures, and evaluations. (EH)… [PDF]

Hrea, Robin (1997). Overcoming Cultural Conflict with Knowledge. Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminars Abroad, 1997 (India). This unit contains two lessons to promote commonality of culture and indicate differences as well. The first lesson asks students to explore their preconceptions about India. The second lesson is a research activity to facilitate learning about major "movers and shakers" in 20th century South Asia. Lessons include objectives, strategies, a materials list, and resources for further reading. (EH)… [PDF]

Clay, Phyllis L. (1991). The Northeast Global Studies Magnet Middle School, 1990-1991. Formative Evaluation. This report addresses the results of an evaluation made of the first year of the implementation of a global studies theme at the Northeast Global Studies Middle Magnet School (Kansas City, Missouri). It is reported that ample evidence of the theme was seen throughout most of the school facilities, and observed in all of the social studies classes. However, no evidence of infusion of the theme was seen during observation periods in mathematics and physical education classes. Data from questionnaires issued to parents revealed that the global studies theme was not clear to a third of the parents. A recommendation was made to provide additional, perhaps related, information to parents regarding the nature of the global studies theme. Of the 22 program objectives relating to the first implementation year, most were being implemented effectively. Several figures and tables appear throughout the report. Five appendices also are included: (1) global studies course topics; (2) infusion of… [PDF]

(1990). Assessment of Global and Intercultural Education at Santa Rosa Junior College. Final Report. Based on information collected via colloquia, questionnaires, and interviews conducted during spring 1990, this report details the history of global and intercultural education efforts and programs at Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC), reviews similar efforts at other institutions, and presents recommendations for ensuring the future growth of SRJC's programs. Following an overview and summary of recommendations, section I presents a profile of SRJC and reviews the college's past global and intercultural education endeavors. Section II reviews global and intercultural studies efforts at Sonoma State University, including its North Bay International Studies Program; describes nationally recognized programs at other community colleges; and discusses the new cultural education requirements at the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University. Next, section III explores the central debates associated with global and intercultural education. Finally, section IV presents…

Gadd, Bernard (1983). Ethnicity, Language and Literacy: Developing In-School Reading Resources to Provide for the Linguistic and Ethnic Needs of Students in a Multi-cultural Junior High School. Noting that the degree to which the concept of ethnicity is understood and taken into account at all levels of educational planning is the single most important factor in the success of programs designed for the education of ethnic and socioeconomic minorities, this paper discusses the concept in general, then outlines the components of an in-school program that was intended to meet the needs of students ethnically divergent from the mainstream of a society. The paper begins with a discussion of ethnic diversity within a nation or society, then addresses what a nation or society can do with that diversity. It next offers several approaches that teachers of language and literacy can use in dealing with ethnic diversity, noting that the attitudes these approaches represent range from ideals of uniformity to those of diversity. Following a discussion of the individual and ethnicity, the paper presents a review of one school's efforts to develop a publication program to deal with its…

Paquette, William (1989). Internationalizing the American History Curriculum. New programs promoting global or international education have been started all over the country. At Tidewater Community College (TCC) in Virginia, efforts to add an international dimension to the curriculum began in 1988, when 20 faculty members from the disciplines of psychology, sociology, economics, mathematics, history, English, and business were participants in a series of lectures on the culture, history, politics, and economics of China and Japan. One of the goals of the lecture series was to infuse an international dimension into as many existing courses as possible across all disciplines. Each faculty member developed one international learning unit for at least one class during the 1988-89 academic year. One participant developed six units for incorporation into a two-semester American History course. The units covered: (1) the age of exploration, focusing on the Aztec and Mayan peoples; (2) the settlement of the West, including information on the Plains Indians; (3)…

Lynch, James (1989). Cultural Pluralism, Structural Pluralism and the United Kingdom. This paper discusses the issue of pluralism and British society. The following topics are covered: (1) why it is desirable for Great Britain to be a pluralistic society; (2) how far the needs of minority communities can be accommodated without threatening British status quo; (3) what happens in other countries; and (4) what lessons can be learned from these experiences. The major political and intellectual impediments to more judicious consideration of the available policies of cultural diversity in contemporary British society are explored. The meaning of cultural diversity is discussed and then applied to the situation in Great Britain. Political opportunists, both antiracist activists and defenders of a more limited acknowledgement of cultural diversity, are criticized, as is organized religion. The extent to which Great Britain can become structurally pluralistic is discussed. (JS)… [PDF]

Lindholm, Kathryn J.; Padilla, Amado M. (1995). Quantitative Educational Research with Ethnic Minorities. Quantitative educational research with ethnic minorities has a long history, characterized by assumptions that are still operative, such as the assumption that the white male is the standard against which other groups should be compared. It has also been assumed that assessment instruments are applicable across all groups, and that sources of potential variance such as social class, language proficiency, or cultural orientation can be recognized but discarded. This paper challenges these assumptions and offers suggestions for improving quantitative research with ethnic minorities. New scholarship on ethnic minorities calls for a paradigm shift from the Eurocentric approach to an approach that values each ethnic group for its own sake. Problems in conducting research with ethnic groups center on (1) identifying, describing, and selecting a sample; (2) understanding heterogeneity within the group; and (3) language and cultural barriers. Methodologies to address these problem areas are…