(1990). Learning E.S.L. with Los Cumbancheros 1988-89. OREA Evaluation Section Report. The Learning English as a Second Language (ESL) with Los Cumbancheros project was developed through the collaborative efforts of several New York State Government offices, community school districts in the Bronx, and the private corporate sector. Its objective was to provide supplemental services to at-risk students of limited English proficiency to keep them in school. The project's vehicle of instruction was a bilingual chorus that rehearsed several times per week and performed regularly. Los Cumbancheros taught students music theory through ESL and Native Language Arts (NLA). Students gained knowledge of music theory and met both the project's ESL and NLA objectives. Attendance records indicated that students participated actively in the program. Additionally, parents expressed enthusiasm for the program and were appreciative of the concomitant parental activities; the Los Cumbancheros parental involvement objectives were also met. (GLR)… [PDF]
(1987). A Cognitive Approach to Teaching Reading to Spanish-Speaking Adolescents. A study investigated the use of horizontal instruction to teach Spanish-speaking secondary students an inferential English reading skill. It looked at (1) the relationship between the students' class-inclusion skills and their ability to identify the implied main idea, (2) the effect of sequentially-developed classification lessons on the students' ability to identify the implied main idea, and (3) the effect of the language of instruction (monolingual or bilingual) on the students' ability to learn a comprehension skill. The results suggest that the students used schemata, including classification in part-whole relationships, during the process of learning English reading skills, implying that the ability to classify is necessary to many learning activities. However, this study does not clarify how such skills should be taught. (MSE)…
(1983). Deception and Dissociation Markers as Indicators of Communication Strategies. Communication strategies used by German-Swedish bilinguals when they have lexical difficulty are discussed. Findings indicate that in a language test situation, when attention is focused on words rather than topic, face-saving over a lexical gap seems to be of great importance to the speaker. When a communication strategy has led to a noticeable failure, the speaker has three principal options: to proceed as before, admit the failure but dissociate himself from it, or conceal the failure and deceive the listener. For dissociation and deception there are certain markers that can help identify the two strategies. These markers can also help in determining whether or not the speaker has used a communication strategy, since they are strongly linked with conscious errors and other products that the speaker considers to be failed communication strategies for his lexical difficulties. (MSE)…
(1987). Dialect Reduction and Accent Restructuring: Some Methods for the Bilingual Classroom. A guide to English pronunciation instruction for native Spanish speakers uses eight basic steps to find and use appropriate techniques to address a specific phonological problem. The steps are (1) calling the student's attention to the learning point; (2) focusing attention on the problem area; (3) sharpening student recognition of the sound in different consonant environments; (4) generalizing the significant features to be mastered; (5) producing new sounds by mimicry or by production of opposite sounds; (6) checking student perception of sounds within minimal sentences; (7) substitution and pattern drilling; and (8) reinforcing and stabilizing the sounds taught in the laboratory and/or at home. An actual lesson plan to teach a specific minimal contrast is outlined, with accompanying teacher notes. (MSE)…
(1984). Part West High School "At Your Service," 1982-1983. O.E.E. Evaluation Report. In the third year in its three-year funding cycle, Project "At Your Service" offered bilingual instruction and supportive services to 200 Hispanic students at Park West High School in New York City. The ultimate goal of the program was to develop students' English proficiency and to prepare them to meet the requirements for high school graduation. Among the activities conducted under the program were curriculum materials development and adaptation; student supportive services in the form of guidance and academic counseling, home visits, and career orientation and planning; staff development workshops, lectures, conferences and courses; and outreach to parents. Quantitative analysis of student achievement indicates that, with few exceptions, program students performed well in English language, mathematics, social studies, science, and native language arts, and that their attendance rate was significantly higher than that of the total school population. (GC)… [PDF]
(1977). Dena'ina (Tanaina) Noun Dictionary. This noun dictionary of the Athapascan language covers all dialects of the Tanaina language of the Cook Inlet region. It has been prepared for the Dena'ina people to help maintain their language and culture. The introduction explains the Dena'ina dialects and the phonological system of the Dena'ina alphabet. The dictionary is organized into semantic categories and most words can be located by thinking about the subject area a word most naturally belongs to. A Dena'ina-English index is appended listing all the Dena'ina entries alphabetically along with the page number on which each word appears in the subject chapters. The dictionary contains 30 chapters and about 5,500 Dena'ina entries. (NCR)…
(1978). Tongass Texts. This bilingual volume in the Tongass dialect of the Tlingit language and in English contains stories about the cultural heritage of the Tlingits. The introduction in English describes the phonology of the dialect. The five stories include free English translations, and are entitled: (1) Concerning Our Heritage; (2) The War at Goochlaakanoow; (3) Concerning Tlingit Medicine; (4) Concerning Food; and (5) The Lazy Woman. Explanatory notes on the text in English are appended. (NCR)…
(1978). Improving Self-Image of Students. ACSA School Management Digest, Series 1, Number 14. ERIC/CEM Research Analysis Series, Number 41. Research over the last ten years provides overwhelming evidence that the most successful students have strong positive self-concepts. This booklet reviews literature on self-concept and describes many programs designed to improve student self-esteem. The paper begins by noting that although no one understands the order of the cause and effect relationship, there is a strong correlation between self-concept and achievement. Then ways to improve self-concept are discussed, with a warning that techniques for measuring self-concept have problems. Methods for improving self-concept include classroom techniques, counseling and discussion groups, and teacher inservice programs. One chapter is devoted to programs for dropouts, delinquents, and the disadvantaged. A final chapter documents the effects of teacher attitudes and beliefs and suggests ways to improve teacher self-concept. The overall conclusion is that one reason for the success of self-concept improvement programs may be that… [PDF]
(1967). Proceedings of a Meeting of the Head Start Planning Committee with the Staff of the Child Development Evaluation-Research Center (Southwest) (University of Texas, Austin, March 29, 1967). This document is a transcript of the proceedings of a one-day meeting held in Austin, Texas on March 29, 1967. Participants included representatives of the national Head Start Planning Committee, the Head Start Research and Evaluation Division in Washington, D. C., and the staff and study directors of the regional Child Development Evaluation and Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. Discussions concerned the initiation of Project Head Start research in the Southwest, the scope of Head Start evaluation, evaluation study samples and statistical strategies, and research reports on: (1) the effect of neural conductivity efficiency on cognitive development, (2) the relationship between dialect and socialization, (3) the effect of response style on perceptual skills, (4) the oral language development of Head Start graduates, (5) the development of tests for bilingual children, (6) cognitive style and conceptual conflict in culturally deprived children, (7) predicting…
(1962). The Teaching of Russian in America: A Modest Proposal. America's lag behind many countries in foreign language training, particularly the Soviet Union, is examined from the viewpoint of her ever-increasing need for foreign language proficiency in many areas. Differences between domestic and foreign curriculums are considered and a proposal is made, based on the specific assumption that what is needed is a required foreign language program beginning in the elementary school. In addition, the author argues that the program must be continuous through graduation from high school in order to guarantee mastery of the target language. (GK)… [PDF]
(1969). Mission: Possible. The following exceptionalities are described: emotional disturbance, social maladjustment, mental retardation, learning disabilities, bilingualism, physical handicaps, visual impairment, disadvantagement, and giftedness. For each exceptionality, a bibliography is given and teaching methods are suggested; further information is included for some exceptionalities. Sources of materials and Arizona agencies and referral services for the handicapped child are listed; professional expressions and terminology are defined; bibliographies are included of general materials, films, and periodicals. In addition, information is provided on the workshop itself. (JD)… [PDF]
(1972). Lee y trabaja: Libro de lectura 2, nivel 1 (Read and Work: Reader 2, Level 1). This reading textbook, the second of a series, is an anthology of stories designed to relate to the natural interest of the elementary school child. On this level the number of words to memorize is increased (on the average, four per unit) while at the same time, the study of word variants is introduced to begin analysis exercises based on the configuration of each. The exercises of auditory discrimination are completed with the visual recognition of normal endings–diminutives, verbs, etc. Stress is paid to the intonation and writing of the letters. The tests which students must read increase in complexity–from the phrase to the sentence. The book contains many color illustrations. (SK)…
(1972). Trabaja y aprende: Libro de lectura 3, nivel 1 (Work and Learn: Reader 3, Level 1). This reading textbook, the third of a series, is an anthology of stories designed to relate to the natural interest of the elementary school child. In the book, students learn about a Puerto Rican family living in New York. Attention is paid to visual and auditory discrimination of consonant groups and normal endings. Included are exercises which are intended to perfect pronunciation and intonation. Work is begun on the reading of symbols such as dashes, accents, and numbers. New vocabulary words are introduced with greater frequency. The book contains many color illustrations. (Author/SK)…
(1971). Motivating through Classroom Techniques. Motivation is the normal state of the individual, and the language teacher is responsible for identifying the individual nature of the student's motivation and directing it through his design of learning activities. The personal goals of the students should be kept in mind; the subject matter should be what interests the student, and the characteristics of the students must be considered. The teacher should use imagination in curriculum planning and should adapt and adjust the curriculum to his own students. The language teacher must know how to use the motivation which already exists to increase the student's knowledge of the new language. (VM)… [PDF]
(1970). The Pros and Cons of Individualized Programmed Instruction for Indian Students. A Position Paper…. Based on observations and experiences in a Title III (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) project to individualize instruction in the ungraded Rocky Boy Elementary School (grades 1-6, Rocky Boy Indian Reservation, Box Elder, Montana), this position paper considers the problem of finding a suitable or workable curriculum and classroom climate for teaching reading, writing, and arithmetic in a traditionally designed school. In the paper, the pros of individualized programmed instruction are discussed considering boy vs. girl, development of the self-learner in relation to his culture, peer-tutor relationships, achievement, characteristics of the self-learner in relation to programmed instruction, and contingency management. Cons of individualized programmed instruction are discussed in terms of the non-English-speaking child, the poor teacher, and behavioral objectivity vs. group interaction. It is suggested that individualized programmed instruction for Indian children has merit… [PDF]