(1995). Maintaining and Renewing Native Languages. Bilingual Research Journal, v19 n2 p279-304 Spr. Reviews research on maintaining and revitalizing American Indian languages, focusing on the interrelationship of language and culture; Fishman's theoretical paradigm for reversing language shift; national and tribal language policies; and examples of native language instruction at the early childhood, elementary, secondary, and tribal college level. Offers suggestions for teaching methods and community action. Contains 45 references. (Author/SV)…
(2006). Preparing Quality Educators for English Language Learners: Research, Policy, and Practice. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates (Bks) This volume brings together a broad range of academics, school-based educators, and policymakers to address research, policy, and practice issues related to improving the education of English language learners in U.S. schools today. It emphasizes throughout that instructional improvements cannot be achieved via curriculum alone–teachers are key to improving the education of this large and growing population of students. The focus is on the quality of preparation and development of pre-service and in-service educators. Contributors include leading educators and researchers in the field and from nationally recognized professional development programs. Their recommendations range from promising new professional development practices to radical changes in current state and federal policy. This book is an important resource to help teacher educators, administrators, and policymakers address critical issues as they develop programs for English language learners. Following a foreword (D…. [Direct]
(1996). Of Borders and Dreams: A Mexican-American Experience of Urban Education. The story of Alejandro Juarez, Jr., a Mexican American youth, and his family's experiences in the parochial and public schools of Chicago (Illinois) portrays the problems that bilingual and bicultural children and their parents face. A further dimension was added by Alejandro's learning problems, which further complicated an already complex and frustrating relationship with the school system. The story begins when Alejandro is a shy and sweet fifth grader struggling with English and reading. As he progressed through school, from the parochial elementary school to a public high school, he encountered stereotyping and bias, difficulties with language, and the complications of his own difficulties with learning that made his school life even harder than the lives of his siblings. The support his family and his elementary school English-as-a-Second-Language teacher offered him were enough to keep Alejandro in school to a point. His eventual dropping out demonstrates that the devotion of…
(1993). Funding Policy for Language Programs = Politique de financement des programmes de langue. This policy statement, presented in both English and French, describes the funding support available for heritage language and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs for K-12 students in the province of Manitoba, Canada. The two parts of the statement, headed "Heritage Language Instruction" and "ESL for Students with Limited Proficiency in English," provide brief introductions followed by basic facts on student eligibility and basic facts on funding. The Heritage Language program consists of three courses: Heritage Language; Bilingual Heritage Language; and Enhanced Heritage Language. Funding provisions for each course are given. The purpose of support for this program is to enhance the English language development programs already in place in Manitoba schools. (LR)…
(1991). Asian and Arabic Mediated Enrichment Resource and Instructional Career Awareness (Project AMERICA). 1990-91 Final Evaluation Profile. OREA Report. An evaluation was done of the New York City Public Schools' Asian and Arabic Mediated Enrichment Resource and Instructional Career Awareness Program (Project AMERICA). During the 1990-91 school year, Project AMERICA operated at 2 high schools (Lafayette High School and Fort Hamilton High School) and served 408 Chinese-speaking Asian immigrant students, an estimated 60 percent of whom lacked all but the most basic literacy skills. The project phased out its Arabic-speaking component in 1989. Project AMERICA students received academic and career counseling as well as instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), native language arts (NLA), and content area subjects taught bilingually or with an ESL methodology. The project also provided support services and activities for staff development, curriculum development, and parental involvement. The evaluation was conducted using student and director questionnaires, test scores, and interviews. Analysis found that the project was fully… [PDF]
(1990). Bilingualism in the Computer Age, 1989-90. Final Evaluation Report. Bilingualism in the Computer Age, a project of the New York City (New York) Board of Education, completed its fourth year (the 1989-90 school year) and was evaluated. The project offered 241 limited-English-proficient Spanish-speaking students the opportunity to study career and vocational subjects while improving their English and native language skills at Morris High School in the Bronx. The results of the evaluation indicate that the program was fully implemented and that students received instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), native language arts (NLA), content area subjects, computer skills, career education, and health awareness. The project also offered staff development and parental involvement activities. The project met its ESL, attendance, and dropout prevention objectives. It partially met its content area subjects and computer training objectives, but did not meet its NLA objectives. Findings also show that due to lack of statistical data, career awareness,… [PDF]
(1988). Ourselves, Our Knowledge. Establishing Pathways to Excellence in Indian Education Implementation: Challenges and Solutions. Selected Proceedings of the Conference of the MOKAKIT Indian Education Research Association (Winnipeg, Manitoba, October 17-19, 1986). This proceedings addresses issues within the area of Indian education. The papers are categorized into four sections. The section "Theoretical Contributions" includes papers that: (1) advocate a commitment to the future of creative ethnicity and a regard for the past of tribalism; (2) offer a framework as a means of better understanding the task of providing meaningful schooling to Indian children; and (3) describe myths and research and suggest empowering Indian communities to conduct research. The papers in the "Theory into Practice" section discuss applications of theory for educators, including: (1) designing a holistic framework of the child in the school-community environment; (2) a critique of existing school literature programs in which Native literature is absent; and (3) an integrated view of the Indian learning style, based on the theories of Alfred Adler. The third section, "Community-Based Contributions" contains: (1) a summary of the…
(1988). The Feasibility of Adapting Office Technology Reading Materials for Foreign-Speaking Students. This paper investigates the economic feasibility of adapting office technology course work for students with limited English proficiency at a proprietary school. Learning guides, textbooks, computer-aided instruction, and documentation supporting the office software being taught were examined for possible adaptation. The following conclusions are reported: (1) all foreign-speaking students must be tested in English, math and reading comprehension before beginning the course; (2) instructors must spend extra time during the beginning of the course to establish a positive relationship with the students and familiarize the students with format, objectives, and procedures; (3) foreign students' learning style strengths can be used to compensate for their weaknesses; (4) supporting handouts and glossaries need to be developed; (5) the relationship of the course work to the real world needs to be emphasized and reinforced; (6) feasibility considerations include instructor labor and time…
(1983). Clara Barton High School. Bilingual Project. O.E.E. Evaluation Report, 1981-1982. The report evaluates the Bilingual-Bicultural Project conducted in 1981-82 at Clara Barton High School, in Brooklyn, New York, for 50 Spanish speaking students with limited English proficiency (LEP). The project was designed to provide tutorial support to LEP students and to enable them to be placed in one of the more challenging health profession majors offered at the school. Additional help was provided to students in both English and Spanish language achievement, and in content area courses. The project also sought to help students to organize their studies, develop learning skills, and bolster their motivation to remain in school despite financial, cultural, and academic pressures. Quantitative analysis of student achievement among participants indicates that: (1) Spanish speaking students mastered 1.7 objectives per month of instruction; (2) program students demonstrated gains in pre- and posttest reading scores; (3) students in grades 10 and 12 demonstrated gains in… [PDF]
(1982). British Columbia Science Assessment 1982. Summary Report. This summary report is a condensation of the British Columbia Science Assessment 1982, General Report, summarizing and highlighting data and recommendations relative to the status of elementary and secondary science education in British Columbia schools. The report is divided into four major sections: (1) purposes and organization of the assessment; (2) attitudes and achievement of science students; (3) backgrounds and opinions of science teachers; and (4) recommendations. Achievement and attitudes of over 80,000 students were assessed at grades 4, 8, and 12, and included a sample of approximately 2,000 grade 10 students. In general, attitudes of students toward various aspects of science were quite positive. However, achievement, as judged by informed members of various panels, was rated low. Achievement measured including science processes, knowledge (recall and understanding), and higher level thinking. Sex-related and language background differences are also considered…. [PDF]
(1984). A Naturalistic Study of Literacy in Bilingual Classrooms. A naturalistic study of two bilingual first grade classrooms was conducted to gain an increased understanding of the cultural literacy instruction beliefs in society and to better understand the process by which literacy instruction beliefs influence the classroom. One Anglo and one Hispanic teacher working in different midwestern school systems were observed for four months. Both were considered competent bilingual educators, but each exemplified a different approach to teaching literacy. The Hispanic teacher was a strong proponent of the sight word approach and the basal reader from which she taught also emphasized this approach. The Anglo teacher taught reading from a phonics basal and personally advocated this approach. Strong cultural beliefs about how literacy most effectively develops guided the curriculum and instruction. The very strategies that both teachers attempted in order to simplify English literacy instruction frequently made the process more difficult for Spanish…
(1980). SOCMATICAS Teacher's Guide. Instructions for use of Socmaticas, a bilingual (Spanish-English), multicultural, multidisciplinary sports learning program are given in this teacher's guide. The program is based on the use of World Soccer team rosters (which include lists of players' names, ages, heights, weights, etc.) to teach English as a second language or Spanish. Students select favorite teams and use team roster data to complete over 300 learning activities in the subject areas of English/Spanish, mathematics, reading, social studies, history, and geography. The activities range from elementary to secondary levels and can be used in group or individual settings to develop cultural awareness and a positive self image. With complete Spanish and English texts, the teacher guide includes: teacher, teacher aide, and student objectives; North American Soccer League team addresses; sample letters that can be used to solicit free soccer team materials; directions for use of the learning activities; student and…
(1981). Yo Ciudadano: Un Curriculo de Experiencias para Educacion Civica. Nivel: Dos (Citizen Me: An Experiential Curriculum for Citizenship Education. Level: Two). Integrating concepts of basic citizenship education with community involvement, this experiential curriculum provides a means for developing decision making and critical thinking skills within the existing second grade social studies curriculum. The 10 lessons, translated into Spanish, cover the following concepts: friendly, unfriendly and dependable behaviors; friendship responsibilities; trust; individual, group and public ownership; loaned property; conflict over joint ownership; sharing use and responsibility of co-owned property; taxes; community helpers; public services, jobs and workers; authority; rules; penalties; law; police; crime; and helpful and harmful citizenship behaviors. The lessons aim to: develop the ideas that friendships do not last if people are selfish and inconsiderate, owners of shared property must find ways to share use and responsibility of property, some property is used and owned by everyone in the community, and some people are paid by everyone to…
(1981). Yo Ciudadano: Un Curriculo de Experiencias para Educacion Civica. Nivel: Cinco (Citizen Me: An Experiential Curriculum for Citizenship Education. Level: Five). Integrating concepts of basic citizenship education with community involvement, this experiential curriculum provides a means for developing decision making and critical thinking skills within the existing fifth grade social studies curriculum. The 12 lessons, translated into Spanish, cover the following concepts: responsibility, rules and laws, involvement vs. noninvolvement, crime and crime prevention, felonies and misdemeanors, and juvenile delinquents. The lessons deal with: (1) peer group pressure as it conflicts with a parent's restrictions; (2) the importance of rules and laws and how to apply them to effective good citizenship; (3) the issue of involvement vs. noninvolvement when confronted with a violation of the law; (4) crime in the community and what happens to someone who is charged with committing a crime; (5) serious crimes as felonies and their consequences; (6) the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor offense and their consequences; (7) how laws affect…
(1978). Helping Young Children Develop Cognitive Skills in a Bilingual-Multicultural Environment. Bilingual/Bicultural Child Development Associate Pilot Project: Module VIII. This Child Development Associate (CDA) training module, the seventh in a series of 16, provides an introduction to cognitive development in young children for bilingual/bicultural preschool teacher trainees. Perceptual skills (visual, figure-ground, part-whole, spatial, auditory and tactile discrimination) and cognitive processes and concepts (remembering, discriminating, inferring, analyzing, evaluating and problem solving) are discussed in the first two sections of the module. Influences on cognitive development such as physical maturation, opportunities for learning, intelligence, cognitive style, culture, guidance in learning, personality and language are explored. Strategies for enhancing cognitive abilities in children are recommended; these include asking questions whose answers require the use of cognitive processes and verbally modeling thinking processes. A 6-step technique for teaching new concepts to preschool children is outlined. The module contains a chart of…