(1994). Issues in Testing Students from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds. Multicultural Education, v2 n1 p10-19 Fall. Examines changing population demographics in the United States, including shifting student demographic projections, and discusses student-testing issues resulting from these changes. The article reviews the historical context of testing ethnic students, testing special-education students, regulatory issues surrounding the testing of ethnic pupils, and testing alternatives. (GLR)…
(1993). Balancing Macro- and Micro-Sociolinguistic Perspectives in Language Management: The Case of Singapore. Language Problems and Language Planning, v17 n1 p1-21 Spr. Shows how both macro- and microsociolinguistic perspectives are necessary to explain national language management. Macrolevel language planning is motivated by tasks of national consolidation by the state, notably in Singapore's case tasks of socio-ethnic integration and economic development. Microlevel language management pertains to individuals' adjustments of language in discourse. (25 references) (VWL)…
(1998). Te Wharekura o Rakaumangamanga: The Development of an Indigenous Language Immersion School. Bilingual Research Journal, v22 n2-4 p297-316 Spr-Fall. Describes development since 1985 of a Maori immersion school for children aged 5-17. Provides background on Maori and New Zealand history, the Waikato tribe and the community, indigenous language revitalization efforts, and national school restructuring that facilitated Maori immersion programs. Discusses the school's educational practices, school-community relations, student performance and academic persistence, and teacher training. (Contains 30 references.) (SV)…
(2001). High Stakes in New York: From a "Last Chance, First Chance" Classroom. Educational Foundations, v15 n4 p57-70 Fall. Highlights a reading teacher in a small New York high school against the backdrop of increasing pressure to demonstrate accountability, sharing classroom observations in the context of the state's education reform agenda, regulations governing compensatory education and English language instruction, school funding, and Title I provisions, and noting that though the school experiences hardship, it exhibits much exuberance and aspiration. (SM)…
(2002). Balancing Bilinguals II: Lexical Comprehension and Cognitive Processing in Children Learning Spanish and English. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v45 n2 p347-59 Apr. This study examined developmental changes in lexical comprehension in 100 bilingual individuals at five age levels, all of whom had learned Spanish as a first language and English beginning at age 5. Although skills improved in both languages over time, by middle childhood performance was better in English, with this transition occurring earlier in comprehension than expression. (Contains references.) (DB)…
(1999). Balancing Bilinguals: Lexical-Semantic Production and Cognitive Processing in Children Learning Spanish and English. Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, v42 n6 p1400-13 Dec. This study investigated developmental changes in lexical production skills in early sequential bilinguals, in both Spanish and English, with 100 individuals of different ages whose first language was Spanish. A pattern was found of Spanish dominance in the youngest children, through relatively balanced Spanish and English skills in middle childhood, culminating in English dominance among adolescents and young adults. (Author/DB)…
(2000). Mexico Host Family Reactions to a Bilingual Chicana Teacher in Mexico: A Case Study of Language and Culture Clash. Bilingual Research Journal, v24 n4 p405-21 Fall. A Chicana bilingual teacher from Arizona lived with a middle-class Mexican family during a 5-week Mexican immersion program. Her complaints about "harsh reactions" toward her and her Spanish showed how her use of a few stigmatized characteristics of nonstandard Spanish were judged by standard Spanish speakers to indicate an uneducated speaker of low social status. (Author/TD)…
(2005). How Census 2000 Data Suggest Hostility toward Mexican-Origin Arizonians. Bilingual Research Journal, v29 n1 p109-125 Spr. Using the Arizona 5% Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) from the 2000 U.S. Census, we compare language-related figures for the Mexican-origin population with those for the total population. Additionally, we compare place of birth and educational attainment data for Mexican-origin persons who speak Spanish at home with those who speak English-only to provide a fuller characterization of these groupings. The 5% PUMS files contain individual records of responses to census questionnaires representing a 5% sample of the occupied and vacant housing units in Arizona and the persons in the occupied units. Our purpose is to more fully characterize the Arizona population to assist in improving education, language, and legal policy in the state, and we conclude that current legal, language, and education initiatives, such as efforts to impose an official English language and to restrict native languages in schools, are at odds with population figures and may signal hostility toward… [Direct]
(2004). Finding the Keys to Biliteracy: How Young Children Interpret Different Writing Systems. Language and Education, v18 n2 p124-144. This paper discusses ways in which young bilingual children understand the principles underlying different writing systems. Six case studies were conducted, involving six-year-olds growing up in London who were learning to write in Chinese, Arabic or Spanish at the same time as English. The children's formal and informal literacy interactions were observed at home, community language school and primary school. Peer teaching sessions were also set up so that children could demonstrate their ideas about Chinese, Arabic or Spanish to primary school classmates. Findings show that these young emergent biliterates were able to grasp concepts from different systems, by producing their own interpretations of the input provided by teachers and family. A discussion follows as to whether such understandings were heightened by dealing with more than one writing system, and whether the research points to a more general propensity amongst young children to look for the principles involved in… [Direct]
(1980). Experimental, Developmental and Demonstration Programs, Projects and Activities. Information & Dissemination Series 11. Part of a series of publications prepared by Hawaii's state department of education, this report details some of the curriculum development projects in progress during 1979-80. Each project description lists objectives; needs served; products anticipated upon completion as well as at the end of the 1979-80 school year; major activities; number and types of schools, teachers, and students involved; evaluation processes; and contact persons. The projects include, among others, instructional programs for the mentally handicapped, for students of limited English proficiency, on basic skills, and on energy use. (Author/WD)… [PDF]
(1996). The Family and Child Education Program at Canoncito. Journal of Navajo Education, v13 n3 p15-17 Spr. The Family and Child Education (FACE) Program was instituted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as an early intervention program to integrate Native American parents, families, and schools through family literacy, parent education, and culturally relevant early childhood education. Describes a FACE program at a Navajo community school, with examples from a home visit and preschool classroom. (Author/TD)…
(1994). Title VII Newcomers Program. Final Report 1993-94. Publication Number 93.19. In 1990-91, the Austin Independent School District (Texas) received a 3-year grant under Title VII to serve a population of limited-English-proficient high school students called "newcomers" (i.e., recent arrivals to the United States). In addition to their limited English proficiency, these students, who have typically suffered interrupted educations, have a wide range of literacy skills. The program provides a sheltered environment for its students, with small classes and intensive English instruction in addition to other academic subjects. Students are expected to move to the regular high school curriculum after a year with continued support in English. In 1993-94, 120 students were served by the Title VII Newcomers Program. In spite of the difficulties they had encountered, newcomers typically demonstrated a commitment to attending school and moving forward with their educations and considered the program very helpful. They demonstrated an average gain of 11 raw score… [PDF]
(1996). Annotated Teacher Resource Bibliography for Working Effectively with Limited English Proficient Students with Interrupted Formal Education. This annotated bibliography lists 48 resources intended for elementary and secondary level educators with a student population that includes limited-English-proficient (LEP) students, often over the traditional age for their educational level, who have not had continuous formal education. These students may have limited or no literacy in their native language or English, and often have difficulty in reaching their potential. The bibliography identifies areas of inquiry important for this population. The first section cites source of information on the needs and characteristics of this group. The second section cites resources on model programs, those both specifically for newcomers and others. Section three addresses instructional issues, both general and for literacy. Several additional documents and contact persons or organizations are also listed. (MSE)… [PDF]
(1990). Community Knowledge and Classroom Practice: Combining Resources for Literacy Instruction. A Handbook for Teachers and Planners. This handbook describes an innovative instructional/innovation model (implemented in an urban school district in the southwestern United States) that represents a promising approach to the education of language minority students. School personnel, parents, and educational planners may use the handbook to assess the appropriateness of the intervention for their schools. Teachers may look to the handbook for explicit advice on implementing the model. Sections of the handbook include: Overview of the Project; The Conceptual Underpinnings: Combining Resources for Instruction; Implementation of the Model; What Do I Do? and Results to Be Expected. A list of contacts and materials available, a 55-item bibliography and list of works cited, and a list of the domains of knowledge in the community are attached. (RS)… [PDF]
(1993). Unlocking Australia's Language Potential: Profiles of 9 Key Languages in Australia. Volume 2, Chinese. This work is one in a series that focuses on nine languages representing the bulk of the second language learning effort in Australian education (Arabic, Modern Standard Chinese, French, German, Modern Greek, Indonesian/Malay, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish). These languages were categorized as the Languages of Wider Teaching. This particular volume aims to describe the position of Chinese language in the various education systems in Australia, the direction and quantity of change since the introduction of the National Policy on Languages, and factors promoting and/or inhibiting expanded language teaching and study. This profile will then be set against Australia's international economic and strategic context, as well as the current dynamic situation for Chinese language usage in Australia. Recommendations are offered on how best to achieve an efficient and equitable provision of Chinese language in Australia. Appendices provide a list of references and a bibliography, language map… [PDF]