(1994). The Waikiki Lifelong Learning Center. Final Report. The Waikiki Lifelong Learning Center (WLLC) project was undertaken to establish a literacy consortium of visitor industry businesses and the University of Hawaii at Manoa and to develop/implement an instructional program that included bilingual/English-as-a-second language (ESL) and General Educational Development (GED)/pre-GED components. After the literacy needs of the visitor industry work force were assessed, the instructional program was developed, field tested, and refined through ongoing evaluation and bimonthly project advisory council meetings. Project partners from Hawaii's visitors industry donated training facilities, labor, and equipment. Instructors and program staff were trained to teach multicultural adult populations. Tutors and volunteers were recruited from the community. On the basis of evaluations of students' progress and questionnaires completed by the program participants and their workplace supervisors, it was concluded that the program improved students'… [PDF]
(1977). English Teachers' Journal (Israel), No. 17. This journal, published in Israel, contains articles of interest to teachers of English as a second language, particularly those in Hebrew-English situations. This issue contains the following articles: (1) "Evaluating the Teacher's 'Control of English'," by R. Gefen; (2) "Instructional Television and the English Proficiency Level of Ninth Grade Pupils," by E. Newmark; (3) "Group Testing of Listening Comprehension and Oral Proficiency," by V. Whiteson; (4) "Creative Dramatics in the Teaching of English to Grade 4 Classes," by L. Ravich; (5) "Literature and the Religious Teacher," by R. Ribner; (6) "An Individual Instruction Program," by M. Applebaum; (7) "I'd Like You to Read This, Please," by N. Alpert; (8) "English for Speakers of Hebrew: Advanced Language Series," by R. Berman and R. Stock; (9) "Teaching Beginning Reading I: Matching Sounds and Letters," an interview with Virginia French…
(1994). Bilingual Learners and the National Curriculum. Occasional Papers, 32. A study and associated development work concerning bilingual elementary and secondary students in British schools is reported. The study was designed to examine the progress and needs of bilingual students in several schools in the Southampton (England) area. It arose from concern about possible marginalization of minority language students in the context of the new National Curriculum. Existing documentation on bilingual/multilingual learners was examined through a survey of area schools and agencies, and was found to be inadequate. A more substantial study was then undertaken in one elementary/middle school with a high language-minority population, using classroom observation and both oral and written surveys of both monolingual and bilingual students. Sixteen parents were also surveyed, and 21 teachers were interviewed for their perceptions of the impact of the National Curriculum on bilingual learners. School support of and participation in the project was found to be widespread… [PDF]
(1998). Cultural Conflict and Struggle: Literacy Learning in a Kindergarten Program. Rethinking Childhood, Volume 5. Noting that literacy development is a social phenomenon, this book provides an account of the cultural conflicts and struggles experienced by two children from culturally different backgrounds and their teacher in a kindergarten program. The book is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter, \Introduction: History of the Struggle,\ introduces the research that explores the consequences of not working to understand and appreciate children's cultural backgrounds; this chapter also describes how these specific children, teacher, and kindergarten program were studied. The second chapter, \The Setting: Home and School Cultures,\ describes the children and their families, the teacher and her colleagues, and the kindergarten program within the school setting. The third chapter,\Isolation: Working and Playing with Others,\ portrays the children's unhappy social encounters in learning centers, whole-group lessons, and special classes. The fourth chapter, \Conflict and Struggle: Literacy…
(1982). Differential Educational Attainment among \At-Risk\ Youth: A Case Study of Language Minority Youth of Mexican Descent and Low Socioeconomic Status. NCBR Reports. Little has been done to analyze the forces that predict whether high-risk students will stay in school or drop out. Current and retrospective data from 27 high-risk youths were studied to shed light on this problem and to suggest ways of improving educational services. The at-risk students were from low socioeconomic backgrounds, were Mexican American, and were language minorities. Results showed that the high-risk youths did not differ significantly on standard school entry-level variables. However, more and regular exposure to learning activities in the home and school, in Spanish as well as English, seemed to be associated with greater educational attainment and achievement. The only noticeable differences in elementary school between eventual dropouts and college-bound students appeared on tests of reading achievement. College-bound students and graduates reported more positive memories of elementary school. Dropping out was not influenced by employment, peer relationships, or… [PDF]
(1980). High School and Beyond: Language File Code Book. High School and Beyond is a national longitudinal study of the cohorts of 1980 high school seniors and sophomores in the United States, intended to provide information through the early adulthood of these students. The Language File contains data on each student who responded that he or she had experience in a language other than English in the High School and Beyond base year survey in 1980. It includes 11,303 records with information on: (1) childhood languages; (2) current language spoken; (3) the most important language; (4) number of languages used; (5) English or non-English comprehension; and (6) use of non-English language at home. Data are also presented on whether students received instruction in elementary and secondary schools for students for whom English is not the primary language, as well as whether they took cultural history courses related to the primary language. The questionnaire contained 23 questions, with 42 variables for each student. The codebook provides… [PDF]
(1981). A Report from the National Hispanic Conference on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. (Washington D.C., July 28-30, 1980). Intended to aid administrators, decision-makers, and the general public in learning about and gaining better understanding of Hispanic concerns, needs, and recommendations regarding justice administration, this document includes the keynote addresses and 15 topic papers presented at the conference which was attended by 91 law enforcement experts. The 15 papers were presented at 5 workshops on police, courts, corrections, juvenile justice, and undocumented workers. Proceedings for each workshop include a summary, three papers presented, formal policy recommendations, and a list of participants. Papers focus on data gaps; revision of legislative, judicial, and administrative policies; impact of national strategies on the national and local level law enforcement and criminal justice systems; psychological testing of incarcerated Hispanics; bilingual programming as a viable alternative in corrections; re-entry and support services for Hispanic offenders; use of physical force by police;… [PDF]
(1980). Eastern District High School Integrated Bilingual Demonstration Project, ESEA Title VII, 1979-1980. Final Evaluation Report. This is an evaluation of a Title VII Bilingual Program that was conducted at a New York City high school in 1979-1980. The program served Spanish speaking students. A demographic analysis of the school's neighborhood and a discussion of participating students' characteristics are provided. The program description outlines the project's philosophy, organization, and structure. Instructional components of the program that are reviewed include: (1) student placement, programming, and mainstreaming; (2) instructional offerings; and (3) funding of the instructional component. Non- instructional components covered include: (1) curriculum development; (2) supportive services; (3) staff development; (4) parental and community involvement; and (5) affective domain. Tables show students' results on the Criterion Referenced English Syntax Test and other tests measuring native language reading achievement, native language mathematics achievement, mathematics performance, science performance,… [PDF]
(1981). The Effects of Special Reading Time in Spanish on the Reading Abilities and Attitudes of Hispanic Junior High School Students. It was hypothesized that a positive improvement in Hispanic junior high school students' Spanish and English reading abilities, reading attitudes and academic self-concepts would result after being provided special reading time with a wide variety of reading materials in Spanish. An experimental (E) group of approximately 200 grade 7 and 8 Hispanic students in Tempe, Arizona, were provided at least 45 minutes a week of free reading time with access and encouragement to use Spanish newspapers, magazines, paperback and hardcover books during required homogeneously-grouped reading classes. Approximately 200 other Hispanic students, who had been enrolled in reading classes the previous year (1979-80) and were taught only basic reading skills and English and American literature, served as a control (C) group. The E and C groups were compared on measures of Spanish and English reading comprehension, speed and vocabulary; attitude toward reading; and academic self-concept. Findings…
(1980). District 13 Haitian-Spanish Bilingual Program. Funded under ESEA Title VII. Final Evaluation, July 1, 1979-June 30, 1980. This report is an evaluation of a Title VII Bilingual Program conducted in two New York junior high schools in 1979-1980 for Spanish speaking and Haitian students. A program description outlines the methods used for selecting students for the bilingual program. A discussion of the evaluation's design and objectives is also included. The evaluation considered the following aspects of the program: (1) room and materials; (2) general pedagogy; (3) language use; (4) bicultural aspects; (5) parental involvement; (6) staff development; and (7) curriculum development. The report presents student tests scores in Spanish and English reading achievement. It concludes with recommendations regarding testing, staff, bicultural activities, truancy, and student placement. (APM)… [PDF]
(1980). The Spanish for Native Speakers Program at State University New York at Albany. The program grew out of the desire of monolingual students, native bilingual students, and instructors for a class to meet the specific needs of Spanish-speaking students of Spanish. The objectives are: (1) to improve the self image of the students, (2) to increase access to the Spanish-speaking community of the world, (3) to use native bilingual skills as a springboard for expansion into written communication, (4) to increase career marketability, and (5) to learn about Hispanic culture. The program is divided into two semesters. Orthography and grammar are stressed in the first with attention given to dictations, oral drills, practice dittos, short readings, free composition, and pan-Hispanic traditional music. Throughout, language is examined as a function of culture and experience. The second semester stresses reading and writing and continues the concern for cultural knowledge and oral development. Written work is evaluated for orthographic and grammatical accuracy as well as…
(1976). Teaching Standard Versus Non-Standard Spanish in a Study Abroad Program. Lektos: Interdisciplinary Working Papers in Language Sciences, Special Issue. The question of teaching a standard dialect to Chicano students who are studying abroad has implications for teaching any standard versus nonstandard dialect. The University of Colorado has a program at the Universidad Veracruzana in Jalapa, Mexico, in which the policy is to teach standard Mexican Spanish (the cultivated norm of Mexico City) as an additional dialect to those students who already speak Chicano Spanish. One technique is to provide written exercises which develop the reading and writing skills of those students fluent in Colorado Spanish. Broadly speaking, the main differences between this dialect and standard Mexican Spanish lie in different pronunciations of the same lexical items and in the use of different lexical items for the same concept. Although the syntactic patterns of the two dialects are similar, there are certain recurring syntactic patterns in Colorado Spanish which can be termed nonstandard forms, calques or anomalous forms. Various types of exercises… [PDF]
(1996). Language in Schools. Monograph No. 41. This monograph attempts to integrate experience and research findings in several related disciplines and bring them to bear on the problem of how to make language programs in schools simultaneously accommodate the needs of both the language curriculum and the general curriculum. It addresses four issues: (1) how specific languages, in all their varieties, are typically used to convey general information through various spoken and written channels to children in schools, and how they are susceptible to change; (2) how students' language proficiency, as individuals and as groups, affect acquisition of other knowledge and skills, and vice versa, in a typical school; (3) options available to language specialists in relating the monolingual, bilingual, or multilingual curriculum to language syllabi, tests, and instructional sequences in language courses; and (4) in cases where choice of language media and language subjects has not ben dictated by educational policy, or is otherwise… [PDF]
(1993). Bilingual Russian Academic and Career Educational Services (Project BRACES). Final Evaluation Report, 1992-93. OREA Report. Bilingual Russian Academic and Career Educational Services (Project BRACES) is a federally-funded program serving 141 native Russian-speaking, limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in one Brooklyn (New York) high school in 1992-93, its first year of operation. Students were recent immigrants of the former Soviet Union who were generally working on grade level in the subject areas, but were in danger of dropping out because of limited English skills and differences in educational systems. Students received instruction in English as a second language (ESL), native language arts (NLA), mathematics, science, social studies, career awareness, employment skills, English survival skills, and computer use. Staff development, parent involvement and educational activities, curriculum development, and provision of academic, cultural, and social support services were also important program components. The program met its objectives for NLA, content area courses, computer skills, vocational… [PDF]
(1985). A Resource Book for Building English Proficiency. This resource book is a collection of articles, annotated references, and resource lists to supplement the accompanying handbook and trainer's guide for educators planning or working with English language programs for limited English proficient (LEP) students. The first part presents resources of interest to administrators adapting programs for a new school population, and contains sections on teacher selection and training, instructional programs for LEP students, policies and federal or state guidelines, and evaluation of programs for LEP students. The second part addresses the interests of the classroom teacher, including culture and the teacher, LEP student assessment, developing goals and objectives for LEP students, research on second language learning, teaching strategies for this population, establishing a resource center, and available instructional materials, with publisher and distributor addresses provided. (MSE)… [PDF]