As a state with a longstanding tradition of offering bilingual education, Illinois has a legislative requirement for native language instruction in earlier grades through a model called Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE). This model does not truly develop bilingualism, however, but rather offers native language instruction to English learners…

In Australia, languages education in early childhood and primary education includes three main approaches: transitional, enrichment and full bilingual programmes. This article proposes that transitional and enrichment programmes in Australia are constituted and shaped by competing and contested institutional, material, discursive and economic…

A longitudinal, experimental-control design was used to test the hypothesis that native language instruction enhances English language learner's (ELL's) native language and literacy development without significant cost to English development. In this study, 31 Spanish-speaking preschoolers (aged 38-48 months) were randomly assigned to two Head…

Three Southeast Asian teachers, one from Vietnam, one from Cambodia, and one from Thailand, develop curriculum materials for native language instruction for students in Project LOWELL, the Lowell (MA) Public Schools transitional program for limited English speaking Asian refugee children. Their duties and the importance of them are discussed. (PS)

Describes Project LOWELL, a K-8 bilingual education program developed by Lowell (MA) Public Schools to cope with the dramatic influx of Southeast Asian pupils since 1979. Discusses five project areas: instruction, curriculum development and coordination, staff development and training, parent and community involvement, and dissemination. Issues of…

Critiques the effectiveness of transitional bilingual education (TBE), focusing on the TBE program in Boston, Massachusetts. Also discusses alternatives to TBE, such as English as a Second Language pull-out programs and English immersion programs. (Contains 114 references.) (MDM)