(1997). Montana Adopts Landmark Language Certification Process. Tribal College, v9 n2 p26-29 Fall. Describes the passing of the Montana Class 7 American Indian Language and Cultural Specialist Certification, which enables all seven Montana tribes to certify the people most qualified to teach their language, and allows the tribes to develop curriculum and strategies that promote their languages and assure their feasibility. (VWC)…
(1971). Excellence in Teacher Education. 1971 Distinguished Achievement Awards Program. This booklet contains brief descriptions of all the teacher education programs submitted in competition for the Distinguished Achievement Award (DAA) of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. The 1971 DAA was awarded to Weber State College in Ogden, Utah, for its \Individualized, Performance Based Teacher Education Program.\ Of the 71 other programs submitted, four programs received special mention, and five were awarded a certificate of recognition. In addition, a Special International Award, inaugurated in 1971, was given to Wayne State College, Wayne, Nebraska, for its student and teacher exchange program with Scandinavian countries. Descriptions of 15 other programs submitted for the Special International Award are also included. Most of these programs involve exchanges with foreign countries or special comparative education courses. (RT)… [PDF]
(2002). Preparing Special Educators To Meet the Needs of Linguistically Diverse Students with Disabilities. Final Report. This final report describes the activities and outcomes of a University of Northern Colorado project designed to enhance programs for preparing teachers to work with students with sensory impairments from linguistically diverse backgrounds. Project accomplishments included: (1) financially supporting 18 trainees who were pursuing a graduate degree in 1 of the 3 low-incidence programs at the University of Northern Colorado (hearing, vision, or multiple disabilities); (2) developing a course that introduced issues related to the educational needs of students with low-incidence disabilities who come from multicultural communities; (3) infusing competencies addressing the needs of linguistically diverse students with low-incidence disabilities within existing courses; (4) targeting recruiting efforts to attract qualified bilingual trainees, or trainees interested in developing second language competences and teaching students from non-English speaking communities; (5) conducting a… [PDF]
(2006). Using the Literary Text to Engage Language Learners in a Multilingual Community. Foreign Language Annals, v39 n4 p683-696 Win. This article discusses the use of Esmeralda Santiago's autobiography "When I Was Puerto Rican" (1994b) as the foundation for an experiential learning project that brought two language communities: suburban college students studying intermediate Spanish and urban Puerto Rican students in an English-as-a-second-language (ESL) class. The researchers relate how the respective classes analyzed the text and its cultural framework in preparation for a cross-cultural encounter when both groups of students discussed their reaction to Santiago's story. This case study is offered as an example of how to use a literary text to achieve the objectives outlined in the "Standards for Foreign Language Learning," standard 5: communities…. [Direct]
(1995). Patterns of Cross-Cultural Communication between Bilingual Pupils & Monolingual Teachers in a UK Pre-School Setting. Data from a larger ethnolinguistic study are presented to demonstrate patterns of pupil-teachers exchanges between bilingual children and monolingual teachers in an urban nursery school in England. Children were aged 3-4 years. Naturally-occurring discourse data were audiotaped and substantial contextual data was gathered. Analysis of patterns in child-adult interactions, and comparison of interactions between (1) monolingual teachers and bilingual pupils and (2) bilingual adults and the same bilingual pupils, suggest that the power relationship inherent in patterns of monolingual teacher-pupil interactions (and established in previous research) assume greater significance in interactions between monolingual teachers and bilingual pupils. A generic pattern of adjacency pairs of bilingual interactions and one-language interactions is outlined. Examples are drawn from discourse. (MSE)… [PDF]
(1996). The Effects of English as a Second Language on College Academic Outcomes. As part of an effort to assess the City University of New York's English as a Second Language (ESL) program, New York City Technical College conducted a study to determine if the ESL course protocol promoted positive academic outcomes among new immigrant students (NIS's) within the regular curricula. Using scores from standardized assessment examinations and measures of college performance from a sample of 717 freshman from 1990, characteristics of the average NIS were assessed and academic outcomes were examined using the following indicators: (1) cumulative grade point average (GPA) after 10 semesters of study, revealing that NIS's generally earned lower GPA's compared to mainstream students; (2) progress toward degree completion based on total credits earned, indicating that NIS's generally earned less credits than mainstream students; and (3) individuals' survival rate in the system as indicated by persistence and graduation rates after 10 semesters of study, suggesting that… [PDF]
(1991). Psycholinguistic Aspects of Bilingualism. This paper considers psycholinguistic aspects of bilingualism from two perspectives: the psychology of the individual and social psychology. The linguistic development of children is described and research is presented that compares bilingual and monolingual children with respect to cognitive development. The emotional consequences of parents' decision to speak or not to speak their own language with their children after they have arrived in a new country is discussed as well as social factors that influence the levels of proficiency that bilingual speakers attain. The future of bilingualism in Australia is a function of people's attitudes to languages and varieties of language; social identity theory frames the discussion of Australian research on language attitudes. Recommendations focus on encouraging bilingualism at the family and community levels. (JP)… [PDF]
(1994). Curriculum-Based Measurement Reading with Bilingual Hispanic Students: A Validation Study with Second-Grade Students. A study investigated the reliability, validity, and sensitivity of Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) reading (which relates reading fluency to reading comprehension) with bilingual Hispanic students. For 10 weeks, 50 second-grade bilingual students and 26 students who spoke English only were administered CBM reading measures twice weekly. Reliability of the CBM reading was compared between the groups with respect to the level of student performance and rate of student progress. Evidence for the convergent and discriminant validity of the CBM reading for bilingual Hispanic students was evaluated using criterion measures of English reading and language proficiency. Sensitivity was evaluated by comparing the reading progress of the two groups during the 13-week period. Results indicated that CBM reading was as reliable and valid for bilingual students as for English-only students, and was sensitive to the reading progress of bilingual students. The construct validity of CBM reading as… [PDF]
(1994). Paired Storytelling: An Integrated Approach for Bilingual and English as a Second Language Students. Texas Reading Report, v16 n4 p4-5 May. This article describes a paired storytelling technique that can be used in bilingual and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classrooms to help motivate students to maximize reading comprehension. The technique involves having the students: (1) pair off; (2) discuss the story theme; (3) read half of the story; (4) take notes on their half of the story; (5) exchange the story notes with each other; (6) write about the part of the story they have not read, based on their partner's notes; (7) read their own versions of the story to each other; (8) read the part of the story they have not read; (9) discuss the whole story; and (10) take a test on the story. This storytelling strategy provides opportunities for one-on-one interaction among students around school tasks and gives them opportunity to use the target language communicatively. The cooperative work improves group relations, increases self-esteem, and increases vocabulary acquisition. (MDM)… [PDF]
(1994). Improving Reading Skills through Tactile and Kinesthetic Strategies within a Whole Language Approach. A program was developed for improving the reading skills of 22 first-grade bilingual students in a suburban K-6 elementary school located northwest of Chicago. The problem was detected because the first grade bilingual students had not achieved reading fluency at the conclusion of the academic school year and, consequently, did not exhibit strong reading comprehension skills. Traditional instruction methods were not meeting the needs of the targeted students. Inappropriate reading instruction for the learning styles of the students, a developmental delay of the children's oral language, limited exposure to printed materials and lack of reading practice were the major causes identified. The solution strategies selected to meet the needs of this population included the whole language approach combined with principles of the learning styles movement. The chosen interventions were designed to develop oral language, emergent literacy, automatic word recognition, to improve reading… [PDF]
(1983). Bushwick High School. "A Warm Welcome," 1981-1982. O.E.E. Evaluation Report. Project "A Warm Welcome" at Bushwick High School in New York City is a comprehensive Spanish-English bilingual/bicultural program that provides instruction in English as a second language; bilingual instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, and other content areas; and career awareness training for Spanish speaking ninth to eleventh grade students of limited English proficiency. This report describes the program as it was implemented in 1981-82, and discusses the program context; participants; instructional components and activities; non-instructional components such as counseling, curriculum development, parent involvement, and staff development; and evaluation. Evaluation findings indicate that, in general: (1) program objectives for English were met; (2) students did not demonstrate significant gains in Spanish reading; (3) program objectives for mathematics, science, and social studies were met by some grades but not by others; (4) there were no significant gains… [PDF]
(1984). Aspects of the Acquisition of the French Verb System by Young Speakers of English and French in Quebec and Ontario. Three studies are presented, each of which is a comparison of the acquisition of an aspect of the French verb system by three groups of speakers. The speakers are: young Anglophones learning French as a second language in an early French immersion program in Montreal; young monolingual Francophones attending elementary French language schools in Quebec; and young bilingual Francophones enrolled in elementary French language schools in Ontario. The three aspects of the French verb system under study are the syntax of the bare (i.e., prepositionless) infinitival complement of motion verbs, the morphology of the pronominal verbs (i.e., reflexive pronoun plus verb), and the morphology of the past participles (i.e., stem plus affix). Each study presents and attempts to explain the language acquisition errors committed by the three speaker groups as well as the differences in the language acquisition stages reached by the three speaker groups. (Author/MSE)…
(1990). Efficacy of Word Processing as a Writing Tool for Bilingual Elementary School Students: A Pilot Study. A study investigated the writing strategies used by bilingual and monolingual students. Specifically, the study looked at field dependence vs. independence, possible differences in strategies employed by the two groups when using a word processor, the effects of strategy on the types of revisions made, and the types of revisions and cognitive strategies generating the best written compositions. Subjects were eight fourth-grade mainstream students at similar achievement levels, four of whom were Spanish-English bilingual, and four who used no Spanish at all. Students had access to a word processor in the classroom, were familiar with computers, and had participated in typing instruction. In two sessions, subjects wrote assignments and made revisions. The students answered a questionnaire about the strategies used during the writing process, and the papers were examined for revision types. Finished compositions were externally evaluated. Results did not substantiate tendencies toward… [PDF]
(1990). Summer Bilingual Program, 1989. OREA Report. The 1989 Summer Bilingual Program, funded for its third year by tax levy, served 2,365 limited-English-proficient high school students at 14 sites in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. Designed for the substantial number of students who are over-age for their grade, the program offered the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and bilingual content courses needed for graduation. In response to recommendations from previous years, staff development was also offered. The program operated in conjunction with regular summer schools at each site. Program objectives were met in ESL and science instruction and came close in mathematics. Evaluation data on social studies were not available. The staff were supportive of program objectives but felt its weakness was in implementation. The most common criticisms were inadequate preparation time, lack of materials, incomplete transcript information from home schools, insufficient bilingual staff, a compressed learning schedule, and need… [PDF]
(1990). Ideas Together. Volume II, Number 1, Spring 1990. Ideas Together, v2 n1 Spr. Designed as a channel for communication among City University of New York faculty regarding initiatives to reduce attrition and promote student success, this publication contains articles on various aspects of student development and bilingualism. The volume contains: (1) "The Process Is the Purpose," an introduction by Anthony F. Russo, which comments on the importance of plurality and equity in the college environment; (2) "Teaching Human Development: The Interrelationship of Learning and Healing," by W. David Cheng, which describes the successful use of an approach in which students share and interpret their own life experiences in the course "The Psychology of the Life Experience"; (3) "A Self-Development and Career Orientation Course for Bilingual Students," by Jennie T. Roman; (4) "Supporting the Community College," by Leon M. Goldstein, which offers a commentary in support of the community colleges in New York City; (5)…