(1984). Needed: A New Language Policy in the U.S. USA Today, v113 n2470 p67-69 Jul. American schools have a long way to go to catch up with the levels attained in most European schools, where students reach near fluency in English besides learning another foreign language or two. English has become a world language; however, there is still a need for foreign languages to be taught. (RM)…
(2003). A Perspective of the Effectiveness of Project Based Bilingual Curriculum in Personal Empowerment of the Adult English Language Learner: A Case Study. This case study offers a perspective on the effectiveness of project-based bilingual curricula in empowering the adult English language learner. The purpose of this study is to examine the English acquisition process of adult Latina women who participate in a project based bilingual language program. The program uses techniques that include different learning modalities, instructional methods, and the appreciation of language building through real world experiences and skills. The sample population includes four Latinas, ages 21 to 34 years, with varied levels of English language acquisition. These students are enrolled in a community adult school in northern California that offers English classes. Data collection procedures include 8 weeks of classroom observation, information collected from student surveys, and informal and formal conversations. Participants reported that bilingual project based learning, in this setting, serves as an important motivation factor and an aid in… [PDF]
(1997). Science Explorers Translation Project. This paper describes a pilot project of Los Alamos National Laboratory (New Mexico) to translate a science education curriculum for junior and senior high school students into Navajo. The project consisted of translating a video, a teacher's guide, and an interactive multimedia product on the 1993 hantavirus outbreak in the Four Corners area (adjacent areas of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado). The video presents a medical mystery and tells the story of how the virus was identified and treated. The focus of the story is the medical community; how their methods contributed to eventual understanding of environmental and physiological reasons for the outbreak; and cultural, social, and economic impacts on local communities. The teacher's guide contains classroom activities that lead students through an investigation illustrating the real issues that scientists face. The translation project began through discussions with an advisory group of teachers on the Navajo Nation…. [PDF]
(2000). Celebrating Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Head Start. Noting that the dramatic demographic changes in the United States in the last 30 years require that Head Start programs learn how to access new populations, encourage their participation, and tailor programs to meet their unique needs, this study was commissioned to better understand the diversity in language and culture of the Head Start population. The study's objectives were to describe the Head Start population, describe the services developed to address unique needs of children and families from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and describe barriers faced by programs as they address the needs of an increasingly diverse population. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used, including the annual self-report survey of programs, additional surveys sent to programs nationwide (1,413 returned of 2,000 sent), and site visits to 30 programs, including 58 classrooms in 1995. Among the major findings are the following: (1) over two- thirds of Head Start children are… [PDF]
(1983). The Role of Interest Groups in the Formation of Educational Policy: Past Practice and Future Trends. Teachers College Record, v84 n3 p708-29 Spr. A review of major federal education programs indicates that educational interest groups have played a modest role in shaping policy. Typically, these groups have ridden existing political and judicial currents to pass programs, and then have concentrated on maintaining their interests. Future roles are discussed. (PP)…
(1998). Cultivating the Natural Linguist. Spotlight: Montessori–Multilingual, Multicultural. Montessori Life, v10 n2 p31-33 Spr. Describes Montessori's vision of young children as natural linguists and how home and school can support children's natural abilities in one or more languages. Presents five basic principles of second-language acquisition–related to educational environment, the acquisition process, components of proficiency, and cultural context and time–and describes how they can be successfully met in a Montessori environment. (KB)…
(2000). Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners. Talking Points, v12 n1 p2-7 Oct-Nov. Presents key questions reflecting research in first/second language acquisition and whole language principles: is curriculum organized around \big\ questions?; are students involved in authentic reading and writing?; are students given choices?; is content meaningful?; do students work collaboratively?; do students read, write, speak, and listen during learning?; are students' primary languages and cultures valued?; and do learning activities build self-esteem? (RS)…
(2001). Early Childhood Intervention Partnerships on the Navajo Reservation with an Emphasis on Special Education. Kayenta Unified School District (KUSD) is located in the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. In addition to serving over 2,600 K-12 students, KUSD collaborates with the Navajo Nation and the Kayenta community to provide three early childhood education programs: Acceptance Belonging Caring (ABC) preschool, Navajo Nation Head Start, and Child Care Occupational Parenting Education Center (COPE). Program staff, support facilitators, and parents completed short surveys about the three programs, including provision of special education services. ABC and Head Start shared many similarities and differed from COPE in various ways. ABC and Head Start enrolled children aged 3-5, offered special education intervention services, and advocated a fully inclusive environment. COPE, on the other hand, provided child care vocational training for high school students and extended child care services to all community members, including free services to teen parents attending school. COPE did not offer… [PDF]
(1981). 1982 Guide to U.S. Department of Education Programs–Parts I and II. American Education, v17 n10 p5-30 Dec. Part I gives information necessary to begin the process of applying for federal funds administered by the Department of Education. Lists program title, authorizing legislation, eligible applicants, and contact information. Part II adds 32 programs affected by the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1981. (SK)…
(1981). Curricular Innovations and Trends: Recent Past, Present, and Future. Peabody Journal of Education, v59 n1 p46-53 Oct. Curriculum innovations and trends are examined in past, present, and future perspectives. Past curriculum innovations include team teaching, educational television, and computer assisted instruction. Present innovations include career education, ethnic education, and environmental education. Future curricular trends may include lifelong learning, values education, and international cooperation. (JN)…
(1980). 1981 Guide to Department of Education Programs. American Education, v16 n8 p17-48 Oct. The guide gives information necessary to begin the process of applying for federal funds administered by the Department of Education (ED). For each ED program, lists program title, authorizing legislation, eligible applicants, and contact information. (SK)…
(2006). Attitudes and Motivation versus Language Achievement in Cross-Linguistic Settings. What Is Cause and What Effect?. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, v27 n5 p413-429. In the bilingual contexts of two regions of Spain, Asturias (Asturian/Spanish) and Eastern Aragon (Catalan/Spanish), and given the relationship between language attitudes and linguistic proficiency, our study has two objectives. Firstly, the attitudes to the two contact languages are described. Secondly, the variables that can explain such attitudes are studied. A questionnaire that had been successfully implemented in other areas was adapted and applied to a sample of 231 pupils in Asturias and 163 pupils in Eastern Aragon, all in their second year of secondary schooling (aged 13-14). In each case, the results showed globally favourable attitudes to both languages in contact, although these are determined by (1) a significant influence derived from attending Asturian lessons in Asturias or Catalan classes in Eastern Aragon and (2) the subjects' home language. (Contains 5 tables and 4 figures.)… [Direct]
(1989). A Reading Strategies Program for Native American Students. Four aspects of the interactive reading process, the parallel compensatory behaviors of bilingual students, and an instructional approach that reflects the needs of these students are described. Focus is on a reading strategies program for Native American students whose cultural environments vary greatly from the cultural environment of the public school and its curriculum. The interactive view of reading holds that readers interpret the author's meaning using their prior knowledge, purposes for reading, and the contextual constraints of the literacy event. The four aspects continuously interact while readers construct meaning. It is noted that bilingual students are at risk at every point in the model. An instructional program is described that was devised at the Eastern Montana College Reading Clinic for bilingual readers where teachers explained strategic reading (goal setting), modeled prediction making, coached students with strategy-based questions, and shifted assessment to… [PDF]
(1993). "Kids R Bi-Bi": Sign Talk Development Project. Sign Talk Development Project (STDP) is a four-pronged project that grows out of needs identified through the program of Sign Talk Children's Centre (STCC). STCC is a bilingual/bicultural day care for children of deaf parents in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The center offers programming in two languages, American Sign Language (ASL) and English; and in two cultures, Deaf and Hearing, for children ages 2 to 5 years. Videotape and naturalistic data collected during the first year of the STDP are discussed. The percentage of children with language delays at STCC is 20%, significantly lower than that reported at the time of the initial assessment in 1988. Results are discussed with respect to hearing children of hearing parents; deaf children of deaf parents; deaf children of hearing parents, and hearing children of deaf parents. The future of the STDP is discussed. (Contains 2 references.) (Author/JP)… [PDF]
(1998). Phonological Production in Spanish-Speaking Preschoolers. Approximately 10 percent of Latino preschoolers are at risk for developing communication problems unrelated to second language acquisition. Many of these children are Spanish-speaking and have difficulties in producing speech sounds in their native language. One of the services afforded Latino preschoolers by speech-language pathologists is the assessment and treatment of phonological disorders. Providing these services is a challenge because many Latino children served are Spanish-speaking. The purpose of this paper is to provide normative data on phonological development and disorders in Spanish-speaking children and to briefly outline assessment and intervention techniques. Normative data are presented with regard to common and uncommon phonological patterns in Spanish-speaking preschool children. The paper then offers four principles to be followed when assessing the phonological skills of Spanish-speaking children: (1) use an assessment tool designed specifically to assess… [PDF]