Fase, Willem, Ed.; And Others (1995). The State of Minority Languages. International Perspectives on Survival and Decline. European Studies on Multilingualism. Volume 5. In many respects, the state of minority language reflects the dynamics of the society at large. At this time, many minority languages are threatened by modernization and urbanization, although others find support in new regional autonomy and movements toward cultural preservation. The 17 chapters of this collection describe the status of a number of minority languages. The topical variation on the state of minority languages is well illustrated in the first section of the book, in which three articles focus on national policies, educational issues, and communication styles or attitudes. The second section presents four studies reflecting the long-time academic concerns with multilingualism and the language proficiency of bilingual speakers in Europe. Two articles then report on the state of Native American minority languages in the United States and Mexico, and one considers the relevance of language planning in national policy. These discussions are followed by large-scale surveys…

Noll, Elizabeth (1993). Teachers' Theoretical Beliefs and Practices: A Case Study of Literacy and Biliteracy in a Bilingual Classroom. A study examined how one sixth-grade teacher's theoretical beliefs about literacy and biliteracy were reflected in her instructional practices. The subject taught in an English-Spanish bilingual classroom in a public school located in a neighborhood of low- to middle-class families in a large, southwestern city. Data included field notes comprising two and a half months of participant observation of reading and writing activities, interviews, and examination of instructional materials and students' written work. Results indicated that: (1) the teacher described herself as a whole language teacher; (2) the teacher made references to the importance of joint decision-making in a whole language classroom and viewed herself as offering choices; (3) however, the choices were limited by her clearly specified guidelines; (4) the teacher believed in the importance of helping her students to become more responsible, but for her, responsibility had more to do with procedure than with content;… [PDF]

Schmidt, Patricia R. (1994). Cultural Conflict and Struggle: Working and Playing in Learning Centers. This ethnographic study examined two bilingual, ethnic-minority children in a developmentally appropriate kindergarten to discover how they worked and played in learning centers. A Vietnamese-Cambodian-American girl and an Indian-American boy were observed two to three times per week throughout the school year. The two children's interactions with other, mainly European-American, students were observed as the children engaged in activities in various learning centers. These centers focused on sand and water play, school readiness, housekeeping, listening to music and stories, discovery learning, block play, writing, art, and math. Additional data were collected through interviews of the two students, their parents, and educators, along with an analysis of student work, report cards, testing information, and classroom materials. The study found that the two children did not have positive social interactions in the learning centers. The Indian-American boy was usually dominated by the… [PDF]

Torres, Judith A.; And Others (1983). Seward Park High School. Project Superemos, 1981-1982. O.E.E. Evaluation Report. Project Superemos, conducted at Seward Park High School in New York City, was implemented in order to supplement the school's instructional services in English as a Second Language, native language arts, and bilingual instruction. The project provided supportive services necessary for mainstreaming into the regular school curriculum approximately 150 Hispanic, limited English proficiency students in grades nine through eleven. These services consisted of personal, academic, and career counseling, as well as peer tutoring, home visits, and referrals to outside agencies. Also conducted through the project were staff development and participation activities. Evaluation of the project's first year results showed: (1) statistically significant improvement in native language reading ability among participants; (2) improved performance on teacher-made mathematics and science tests; and (3) higher attendance rates among participants than among the general school population. However, the… [PDF]

Keane, Demetra Nicolau; And Others (1983). Project L'Ouverture, 1981-1982. O.E.E. Final Evaluation Report. Originally proposed as a supplement to basic bilingual programs for Haitian students in three New York City high schools, Project L'Ouverture changed its focus to the development and reinforcement of basic skills. In response to a need for basic bilingual services not available in participating schools, the project provided tutorial services to limited-English-speaking Haitian students on a voluntary basis. Evaluation of the 1981-82 school year showed that project staff continued to develop a rapport with project students and the Haitian community. Communication with parents and with school administrators was weak. Documentation of project activities in nearly every area was incomplete and thus hampered evaluation efforts, since it was impossible to gauge the extent or substance of tutorial services, or the number of students actually tutored regularly. There was little evidence of parental involvment or curriculum development. Staff development activities apparently took place, but… [PDF]

Austin, Martha, Ed.; Lynch, Regina, Ed. (1983). Dual Language = Saad Ahaah Sinil. A Navajo-English Dictionary. Revised Edition. A dual-language Navajo-English dictionary provides a chart of the Navajo kinship system, a two-page map of the Navajo Nation, and English equivalents for Navajo words in 46 linguistic and cultural categories. Included are words for: races (Indian and other ethnic groups); Navajo clans; age groups; Navajo ceremonies; body parts; sickness; clothing; grooming; jewelry; different types of hogans/houses and their contents; outdoor surrroundings; tools; kitchen utensils; food; domestic and wild animals; birds; insects; plants; heavenly bodies; minerals; sacred mountains; rivers, creeks and washes; weather; geograhical directions and spatial relationships; time; days, months, and seasons; office and school supplies; numbers; shapes, lines, and textures; colors; games and sports; community places and people; equipment and transportation; weaving; riding gear; towns and cities; adjectives; counting money; and mathematical terms. (MH)… [PDF]

Berney, Tomi D.; Carey, Cecilia (1989). The Bilingual Academic Services and Integrated Career Systems Program: Project BASICS, 1987-1988. OREA Report. The Bilingual Academic Services and Integrated Career Systems Program (Project BASICS) is a federally-funded program of instructional and support services provided to 122 students at a Queens high school. The program's aim was to develop English literacy skills and appreciation of cultural diversity, and to prepare students for the psychosocial dimensions of the workplace. The program provided instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL) to all students, computer-assisted tutorials in ESL and mainstream content area, vocational classes, and social studies courses taught with an ESL approach. The program's non-instructional component included career orientation, conferences, and guidance and counseling. Most participants were recent immigrants. The project met its objectives in ESL and content-area learning, partially achieved its objectives in career-oriented activities and curriculum development, but failed to meet the attendance objective. Whether objectives were met in… [PDF]

(1986). Evander Childs High School Computer-Literacy and Word-Processing Skills for Bilingual Students 1985-1986. O.E.A. Evaluation Section Report. A program sought to enhance the educational achievement and employability of 167 Hispanic students of limited English proficiency in grades 9-12 through elective courses in keyboarding, computer literacy, word processing, and automated accounting. The instructional approach was based on students' English proficiency. Students with the least English proficiency were taught primarily in Spanish; students with greater proficiency were taught in English. In addition to English as a second language, native language arts, and bilingual content-area instruction, all students were enrolled in classes in keyboarding conducted in English and Spanish. Supportive services were also offered to program participants. Program objectives were assessed in English language development (Criterion Referenced English Syntax Test–CREST and the Regents Competency Test–RCT in reading), work study/work readiness skills (staff-developed examination), and attendance (school and program records). A… [PDF]

Klinck, Patricia (1987). Corrections in Bilingual Student Talk. A study of self-correction, or repair (the righting of the trouble source) among bilingual secondary students differed from most repair studies in three ways. It: (1) examined results in the form of description rather than in quantifiable analyses; (2) defined errors as trouble sources (hearable errors, breaks in communication such as word searches, and changes made by the speaker when no error was heard) rather than errors in form only; and (3) examined error and repair in peer conversations and in oral tests rather than under experiment conditions. Subjects were grade nine students from late immersion (French study begun in grade seven) and continuing bilingual (French study begun in kindergarten or in grade one) programs. Videotapes of peer interactions among the students were analyzed for evidence of turn-taking and repairs; in addition, the inter-relationship of turn-taking and repairs in different contexts were examined. The analysis, produced a "grammar" of repair… [PDF]

Cukor-Avila, Patricia; Hadaway, Nancy L. (1986). Composing in Two Languages: A Bilingual Child's Response. A study of code-switching in a group of 35 Spanish-English bilingual third-graders is reported. The students' diary journal entries and writing assignments based on previous classwork are examined. Retelling of stories previously told by the teacher and the journal entries helped identify the kind of language used by students, the code-switching differences in oral versus written language, and the relationship of code-switching to the type or purpose of the writing. The study found evidence of language variation in the form of language interference and code-switching. Samples of interference clearly demonstrate the students' occasional need to fall back on first-language competence to communicate a message. Code-switching instances suggest a difference between previously reported language mixing in speech and code-switching in writing. Written code-switching was limited to single lexical items or very short phrases. In addition, the purpose of the writing appeared to affect… [PDF]

(1986). Project GET SET, 1984-1985. OEA Evaluation Report. This project, in the second year of a three-year funding cycle, serves approximately 100 Hispanic students of limited proficiency in both English and Spanish at two junior high schools. Both schools had high enrollments (over 50 percent) of Hispanic students and were located in economically depressed areas of New York City. Project goals include: (1) to reinforce English language skills, especially reading and writing; (2) to improve language arts skills in the students' native language (Spanish); (3) to offer counseling support services; and (4) to offer career guidance services. In addition, two students from a nearby high school served as peer tutors in English reading, and curriculum materials appropriate to the students' needs were developed. Implementation was delayed due to a reduced level and late receipt of funding, a change in sites, and difficulties finding and hiring appropriate staff. In spite of these problems, student achievement data indicate significant gains in…

Padilla, Amado M.; And Others (1988). Young Children's Oral Language Proficiency and Reading Ability in Spanish and English. CLEAR Technical Report Series. Seventy-one subjects (22 English monolinguals, 23 Spanish monolinguals, and one bilingual group comprised of 19 Spanish-dominant and 7 English-dominant bilinguals) were assessed by means of the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery and the Woodcock-Johnson Language Proficiency Battery at the beginning of kindergarten and first grade. These instruments were used to measure oral language, reading aptitude, and reading ability. Results helped to establish patterns of language dominance in the bilinguals and to define different aspects of language proficiency in terms of semantic functioning (i.e., defining words and understanding relationships between words) and communicative competence in everyday activities. It was found that when tested in their weaker language, bilingual children fell behind in basic reading ability and, in the case of early reading in English, group differences were more related to differences in language proficiency and lack of formal English instruction… [PDF]

Gray, Vicky A. (1985). Evaluation of the Grade Nine French Immersion Program in Fredericton, N.B. The academic achievement in French of two cohorts of grade 9 students of a public school early immersion program in New Brunswick, which has total French-language instruction through grade 4 and includes all students in the program except transfers was compared to that of a group of native French-speaking students at a nearby French-language school. The students were tested on academic achievement in French language arts (including three reading comprehension tests, a writing skills measure, a general language arts test, and an overall French language proficiency test requiring reading and writing skills) and linguistic competence in French (including test of French morphology and vocabulary and three tests of listening comprehension). Results indicate that the program has met its goal of continued improvement in French skills during grades 7-9, with test score improvement on all of the relevant measures. The immersion students' level of performance on academic measures of French…

Chan, Itty (1981). The Hmong in America–Their Cultural Continuities and Discontinuities. In adjusting to their new environment, Hmong refugees to the United States have attempted to preserve cultural traditions while accommodating the demands of American society and culture. The Hmong refugee background includes a tradition of close family ties and self sufficiency in the Laotian hinterlands; a history of war, hardship, and drastic life changes; and life in Thailand's refugee camps that was characterized by uncertainty, the distress of losing a homeland, and forced dependence on foreign aid. Their arrival in the United States has required new adjustments in culture, housing, language, education, employment, health practices, and family relations. The process of adjustment has resulted in some cultural discontinuities. While the traditional sense of kinship and the characteristics of independence and initiative continue to be reflected in Hmong life, changes have had to be made in family roles, marriage customs, and employment practices. Some culture gaps remain due to…

Campbell-Thrane, Lucille, Comp. (1979). Resources: Materials for Special Needs Learners. "It Isn't Easy Being Special." Bibliography Series No. 50. This bibliography contains publications which provide information that will help meet the needs of special individuals with unique characteristics. The bibliography is divided into thirteen sections. Each section is identified by specific population and contains a listing of both generic resources and those specific to each individual special populaiton. Special populations included are (1) American Indians, (2) Asian Americans, (3) bilinguals and those with limited English proficiency, (4) black Americans, (5) disadvantaged, (6) exceptional children, (7) gifted and talented, (8) handicapped, (9) Hispanics, (10) the incarcerated, (11) migrants, (12) older Americans, and (13) single parents. (LRA)… [PDF]

ROBINETT, RALPH F.; And Others (1965). BIFF AND TIFF. MIAMI LINGUISTIC READERS, INTRODUCTORY UNIT AND LEVEL ONE-A. TEACHERS MANUAL. THIS TWO-YEAR BEGINNING READING SERIES WAS PREPARED BY A GROUP OF LINGUISTS WHICH INCLUDED RALPH F. ROBINETT, PAULINE M. ROJAS, AND PAUL W. BELL, IN COOPERATION WITH THE DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, FLORIDA. (SEE RELATED DOCUMENTS ED 001 693, ED 001 694, ED 001 695, AND ED 001 696.) THIS REVISED EXPERIMENTAL EDITION COMPRISES 10 PRE-PRIMERS, PRIMERS, AND READERS FOR THE FIRST YEAR LEVEL, AND 11 TEXTS FOR THE SECOND YEAR LEVEL. EACH OF THE 22 TEXTS IS ACCOMPANIED BY A SEATWORK BOOKLET AND A TEACHER'S MANUAL. THE SERIES ALSO INCLUDES SUPPLEMENTARY CHARTS, "BIG BOOKS" 1 AND 2, FOR LANGUAGE PRACTICE AND SPECIAL WORK ON READING PROBLEMS. THIS MATERIAL WHICH WAS PREPARED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SPANISH-SPEAKING CHILDREN IN THE DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, HAS ALSO BEEN USED WITH OTHER NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING GROUPS OF CHILDREN. THE SERIES IS PUBLISHED BY D.C. HEATH, 265 COLUMBUS AVENUE, BOSTON, MASS. 02116. (AMM)…

Blankmeyer, Harrison C.; Williams, Jerome (1977). From Correction to Self-Evaluation in College-Level Spanish for Bilingual-Bicultural Students. The marked increase in the number of Hispanic bicultural students entering American colleges and universities has created new dilemmas for teachers of beginning and intermediate Spanish. In addition to the difficulties occasioned by new cultural perspectives, both student and teacher are faced with the problem of remodeling the classroom program to fit the needs of the student whose initial approach to spoken Spanish cannot be considered tabula rasa in the traditional sense, and whose previous contact with the language (and with language-learning in general) is non-normative. Preliminary testing and evaluation can be directed to complement one important aspect of the college-level bilingual classroom: the process that leads from correction to self-correction and self-evaluation. The nature of corrective work for the bilingual student will differ from that of the English-speaking student, as the bilingual has already broken the language barrier and already possesses a working…

Waggoner, Dorothy (1976). Language and Demographic Characteristics of the U.S. Population with Potential Need for Bilingual and Other Special Educational Programs, July 1975. This report summarizes the language background information and certain demographic characteristics of language minorities in the United States. The data were derived from the Survey of Languages, a pilot study of the non-English-language background population aged four and older sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics as part of the July 1975 Current Population Survey of the Bureau of the Census. Thirteen percent of the population of the U.S. aged 4 and older in July 1975 lived in households in which languages other than English are spoken. There are over 25 million persons in these households. Spanish speakers constitute more than two-fifths of all speakers of other languages. Excluding speakers of Spanish, speakers of other languages are estimated to be 10 million: 1.8 million speak Italian, 1.5 million speak French, and another 1.4 million speak German. Speakers of Chinese, Greek, Japanese, Filipino languages, Portuguese, and Korean number between 100,000 and… [PDF]

Sadek, Carmen Sanchez (1975). Theoretical Basis for the Development of the Language Arts Curriculum in Bilingual Programs. The curricular question of educational purposes is generally answered by Language Arts Specialists in terms of the traditional language skills. Two ideas to better answer this question are proposed: Professor William E. Bull's model of the communication process and his adaptation of the mathematical Theory of Sets to language study. Bull's model of communication is described as including four phases: precoding, encoding, transmission and decoding. The importance of Set Theory in language study is explained. The language skills of listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing are identified in terms of the phases in the proposed communication model and Set Theory. The precoding phase of the model is found to have no curricular equivalent in any skill. The same is true for Set Theory. Specific goals or educational purposes for the language arts curriculum in bilingual programs and instructional objectives derived from Bull's model and Set Theory are provided. (Author/KM)… [PDF]

Chan, Mimi; Kwok, Helen (1975). Creative Writing in English: Problems Faced by Undergraduates in the English Department, University of Hong Kong. Topics in Culture Learning, Vol. 3. This article describes an undergraduate course in creative writing offered by the Department of English at the University of Hong Kong. Most students in the course have Chinese as a native language and have received their secondary education in English. They have had extensive practice in writing English in connection with their studies. The course is offered during the last two years of a three-year degree program, and the actual writing instruction is preceded by exposure to various literary styles and by analysis of contemporary English writings. The student is allowed to concentrate on one genre or experiment with several. This paper specifically deals with prose works, and focuses on the special problems faced by the students as a result of having to write in a second language. Many of these problems are directly related to the setting, the characters and the themes that the students choose, which can be grouped into the western-oriented, the traditional Chinese-oriented, and… [PDF]

Briere, Eugene J. (1974). TOPESL Interpretive Manual. This is an interpretive manual designed to accompany the Test of Proficiency in English as a Second Language, a comprehensive test assessing production and perception skills in written and spoken English and intended for use in Grades 4-6 in Bureau of Indian Affairs schools. The manual is divided into three sections. Section one discusses English proficiency and the ways in which information from test results is best incorporated into decisions affecting individuals and Groups. Section two contains the information about TOPESL, TOPESL scores, and the norms population necessary for interpretation of scores and differences between scores. Section three contains detailed information about the development of TOPESL, and about the development of statistical information for TOPESL. Statistical data are presented in tables, and appendices list participating schools. (Author/AM)… [PDF]

(1969). English [Curriculum Improvement Program in English Language Skills for Schools of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]. Books I-II. These first two books prepared by the Curriculum Improvement Program in English Language Skills for Schools of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands provide detailed instructions for teaching aural and oral skills in English as a second language to Ponapean children in Grade 1. Each book consists of ten lesson units; each lesson unit consists of five lessons. A statement of the aims for the lesson, the visual aids needed, and an outline of the steps for teaching the given structures precede each lesson. An achievement test follows each five-lesson unit. Instructions for computing class percentages are given in the prefatory section of each volume. See related documents AL 002 134 for a description of the Program and AL 002 141 for the line-drawing picture books which accompany these two volumes. (AMM)… [PDF]

(1969). English [Curriculum Improvement Program in English Language Skills for Schools of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]. Books III-IV. These two volumes comprise Books III and IV in the Curriculum Improvement Program in English Language Skills for Schools of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands materials. See related documents AL 002 134 for a description of the Program, AL 002 135 for Books I-II, AL 002 141 for picture books for the first two volumes, and AL 002 142 for picture books to accompany these two volumes. (AMM)… [PDF]

(1969). English [Curriculum Improvement Program in English Language Skills for Schools of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands]. Books V-VI. These two volumes comprise Books V and VI in the Curriculum Improvement Program in English Language Skills for Schools of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands materials. See related documents AL 002 134 for a description of the Program, AL 002 135-6 for Books I-IV, AL 002 141-2 for picture books for the first four volumes, and AL 002 143 for picture books to accompany these two volumes. (AMM)… [PDF]

Martinez, Emiliano; And Others (1972). Mira y lee: Libro de lectura 1, nivel 1 (Look and Read: Reader 1, Level 1). This reading textbook contains a series of stories designed to relate to the natural interest of the school child. Students learn about a Puerto Rican family living in New York. New vocabulary is introduced gradually for the student to memorize. Included are exercises in oral expression and comprehension, auditory discrimination, intonation, pronunciation, and visual discrimination. The book contains many color illustrations. (Author/SK)…

Penalosa, Fernando Chicano Multilingualism and Multiglossia. The linguistic situation of the Mexican-American community is complex, involving multiglossia and multilingualism. Various language codes and different blendings of English and Spanish are in use within the community. Educators should decide which code they will use in their planning. Research is needed to consider the various codes and their roles and relationships to improve the educational system for the Mexican American. (VM)…

(1970). Teacher-Aide Guide for Navajo Area. Results of a 1970 teacher and Navajo aide workshop, sponsored by the Navajo Area Division of Education, are compiled in this guide developed particularly for use by those who work with Indian students. Workshop curriculum content and objectives are provided, as well as a section on role identification for teacher/aide teams; checklists concerning self-evaluation for teachers and aides; discussion on effectiveness of teacher and aide in terms of such factors as rapport, liaison, and culture; information on development of a constructive self-image in children; fingerplays, songs, and games for teaching English as a second language (ESL); use and development of arts and crafts; recommended games and activities; 4 original stories rewritten to teach reading using ESL structures without context; and a child's cookbook for vegetables, fruits, and sweet foods. In addition, participant evaluation of workshop activities is presented in tabular form. (AN)… [PDF]

(1971). An Evaluation of the St. John Valley Title VII Bilingual Program, 1970-1971. The St. John Valley Bilingual Program for 1970-71 was instituted to help overcome the educational problems of French-speaking children in schools where lessons are conducted in English. Basically the program conducts instruction in the student's first language with an increasing use of the second language. This report focuses on the assessment of each objective within each project component: instruction, staff development, community involvement, materials development, and program management. The first part of the report summarizes the status of accomplishment of the first-year program goals for each component. Part 2 discusses the evaluation of each specific program objective and its status at the end of the program. Part 2 also presents the results of additional data gathered on the particular project components and commendations and recommendations for each component. Details on evaluation procedures are included. (Author/VM)… [PDF]

Zernovoj, Alexander (2005). Telling, Writing and Reading Number Tales in ASL and English Academic Languages: Acquisition and Maintenance of Mathematical Word Problem Solving Skills. Online Submission One of the major goals in deaf education is to teach deaf and hard of hearing students the tools and strategies to solve mathematical word problems. A mathematical word problem curriculum was designed and implemented based on telling, reading and writing number tales in American Sign Language (ASL) and English. The learning experiences helped develop ASL and English academic language in deaf students across two domains: Literacy and Mathematics. The results suggested that the deaf students (1) acquired and maintained word problem solving strategies and tools that are critical for reading and solving math word problems, (2) used prior knowledge and daily experiences to connect with number tales, (3) increased their metalinguistic awareness of ASL and English, (4) developed mathematical academic language (or \math talk\) in both ASL and English, and (5) gained confidence in their ability to read and solve mathematical word problems. The following are appended: (1) Curriculum Lesson… [PDF]

Nicol, Janet L., Ed. (2001). One Mind, Two Languages: Bilingual Language Processing. Explaining Linguistics. This collection of papers presents research on language processing among second language learners and bilinguals. The nine papers include the following: (1) "The Bilingual's Language Modes" (Francois Grosjean); (2) "The Voicing Contrast in English and Spanish: The Relationship between Perception and Production" (Mary L. Zampini and Kerry P. Green); (3) "The Development of Conceptual Representation for Words in a Second Language" (Judith F. Kroll and Natasha Tokowicz); (4) "The Nature of the Bilingual Lexicon: Experiments with the Masked Priming Paradigm" (Kenneth I. Forster and Nan Jiang); (5) "Explaining Aspects of Code-Switching and Their Implications" (Carol Myers-Scotton and Janice L. Jake); (6) "Production of Verb Agreement in Monolingual, Bilingual and Second-Language Speakers" (Janet L. Nicol, Matthew Teller, and Delia Greth); (7) "A Theory of Syntactic Interference in the Bilingual" (Montserrat Sanz and…