Explores the relationship between literacy and second language acquisition by reviewing a study of this relationship which was conducted in a Thai refugee camp and by discussing major findings in second language research. Suggests a functional rather than developmental approach to investigating literacy for community problem solving. (SED)

Presents Hilder's view of Bell's article on the relationship between first and second language literacy and follows up with Bell's response. Hilder examines the implications of Bell's article for classes in English for academic purposes and draws on other literature for pedagogical direction. The author elaborates on Hilder's comments on the…

Provides an extensive overview of the literature on the links that exist among language, literacy, education, and economic development. Compares and contrasts how the trajectories of economic development and literacy differ in rich and poor countries and raises the important question of whether literacy is a cause or by-product of development.…

This paper explores ways in which the wholesale transfer of assumptions from first-language (L1) literacy can sometimes complicate the process of acquiring second-language (L2) literacy. Using methods of narrative inquiry, the article describes attempts to reach a better understanding of L2 literacy through an autobiographical study of Chinese…

Research on second language reading and writing development in children suggests (1) children who speak little English are reading some of the print in their environment, (2) they can read English before they have complete oral control of it, (3) their comprehension is influenced by their knowledge and culture, and (4) their second language…

Examines the relationship between a young writer's identity and his literacy development in a multilingual elementary classroom. (JL)

Examines the discrepancy between the conventional categories by which five Black South African English language learners in their first year at a historically White, Anglophone tertiary institution are identified--"disadvantaged,""underprepared,""second language"--as well as the way these women identify themselves.…

Addresses the question of how the education system responds to the needs of immigrant students on arrival in Vancouver, Canada, focusing on reception classes. The Oakridge Reception and Orientation Centre (OROC) was created to serve various functions for such students, including ascertaining their literacy backgrounds and assigning them to…

This case study shows how an English-as-a-Second-Language teenager in the United States created literacy experiences for himself through involvement in various forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC) on the Internet. Analyzes the learner's information on textual identity through the theoretical constructs of voice, design, and…

In a discussion of the limitations of reading tests to assess literacy, Street's "autonomous model of literacy" is critiqued and an alternative approach, described as a pragmatic model, is proposed. The alternative approach reflects the social dimension of literacy activities and views reading and writing as inseparable. (32 references) (Author/LB)

This article examines how children and adolescents learn language and literacy, arguing that the crux of learning occurs through social interaction in which content is being discussed and negotiated. It also reviewed emerging issues related to the improvement of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction in elementary and secondary schools.…