Uzbekistan is a multinational country where the Uzbek language remains the only official language within the country. While historically the Russian language has served the function of a "lingua franca" for ethnic minorities, and was often viewed as a second "mother tongue" within Uzbekistan, its status appears to be declining…

In this plenary speech I examine multilingual interaction in a number of European regions in which minority languages are being revitalized. Education is a crucial variable, but the wider society is equally significant. The context of revitalization is no longer bilingual but increasingly multilingual. I draw on the results of a long-running…

The education of ethnic minorities in China is explored, addressing issues that relate to state schooling, ethnicity, and development. Minority religions, which traditionally provided much of the education outside of the family, are tolerated increasingly officially, but not really recognized in state schooling. Language is another major challenge…

All states are addressing the problems of accommodations for English Language Learners (ELL's) in state assessment systems, but Massachusetts is noteworthy for the way in which it handles this problem. Since the early 1980s, over 40 states have created a statewide assessment program. Testing in these states is typically modeled on the National…

This paper aims to reassess conclusions drawn in 1975 about the prospects for survival of the Navajo language. A study done at that time uncovered evidence that there was increasing knowledge of English among Navajo children, although knowledge of English was highly, positively correlated to the level of isolation from Navajo speakers. As a result…

The unique characteristics of immigrants from Taiwan are explored, and the strategies they use in adapting to life in the United States are described. Recent Taiwanese immigrants have been characterized by their diversity in background, their high economic and social status, a variety of reasons for immigration, and sequential migration patterns.…

At the margins of American education are students with unusual needs who challenge teachers to the limits of their commitments, insights, and skills. This paper considers the marginalized students in inner-city schools and suggests ways to improve education for them and for all students. There are disproportionate numbers of racial and ethnic…

California Tomorrow, a non-profit research organization that supports the development of a fair and inclusive multicultural society, conducted this study. The research sought to answer three questions: (1) What are the experiences of Latino, African American, Asian, Native American, white, and immigrant students in the community college system,…

As part of a discussion of the complexities of evaluating bilingual education, this paper discusses critical questions related to equitable education. A first concern is the development of standards. Children must be given equal opportunities to learn, but the development of standards and new assessments alone will not ensure that inequities will…