In many Inupiat communities the traditional meeting house, the "qargi," was the first institution to vanish as churches and schools became the dominant forces of change. At present, the Inupiat elders have no responsibility for the formal education of the young Inupiat. The educational environment of each Inupiat community can be altered…

This paper reviews factors contributing to the loss of language and culture of the Tarahumara people of Mexico and describes a program aimed at preserving Tarahumara language and culture. The Tarahumara people reside in the Sierra Tarahumara in the northern state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Although the Tarahumara people successfully avoided…

Australia has a unique range of language communities and language education needs. A variety of languages is currently offered to different groups of learners through diverse programs. Language teaching may be provided through bilingual education, limited-exposure programs, or compulsory language instruction. Federal and state education agencies,…

Since the late 1970s, the New Zealand government has instituted educational reforms to increase Maori participation and success in education. These reforms required Treaty of Waitangi principles to be incorporated into school policies, devolved responsibility to local boards of trustees with community representation, required Maori culture to be…

This paper reviews the development of interest in teaching Portuguese to immigrant students, an interest rooted in an individual's ethnicity and cultural past. The story of a Portuguese couple who immigrated to Sweden with their young son is recited, emphasizing the child's struggle with his lack of identity with either Portuguese or Swedish…

Since 1999, Access to Intercultural Bilingual Education (AIBE) has endeavored to improve the quality of education in the rural department of El Quiche, Guatemala, where most people speak a Mayan language as their first language. AIBE focuses on education at the preschool and primary levels, with emphases on parent participation, bilingual methods,…