The instructional programs educators design to help English Learner (EL) students work toward English proficiency look different in schools across the United States. This is due in part to the variety of approaches K-12 educators take to important questions such as: Should the program foster bilingualism or focus solely on English? Should ELs…

As an introduction to two models for teaching teachers to assess bilingual and limited-English-speaking students' language proficiency, legislative and educational perspectives on the need for development of language assessment procedures for this group are outlined and strategies for implementing such procedures are discussed, including community…

Designing school-linked services that take into account the growing diversity of the nation's population requires individuals and organizations to address several difficult issues, beginning with understanding language and culture. Building trust is perhaps the biggest challenge to developing effective collaboration. (SLD)

Presented in this volumer are selected convention papers on topics in teaching English as a second language (ESL). Topics include literacy vs. literate skills; ESL development among preschool children in Singapore; language proficiency and comprehension of anaphoric subject pronouns in bilingual and monolingual children; the ESL noise test and…

The Family-Oriented Language Dynamics (FOLD) Program, a humanistic, goal-centered, home-directed philosophy of teaching foreign languages, is discussed, and a FOLD workshop at Middle Tennessee State University is described. FOLD is the result of research on the possible application of the Suzuki Talent Education of music instruction to second…

This brochure, intended for the parents of current and prospective French immersion students, answers commonly-asked questions about immersion education, including who should participate, how good the child's French will be, whether immersion students are likely to lose ground in English or academic subjects, how parents can provide support at…

A study of the nature, extent, and effectiveness of foreign language education in the Soviet Union is presented. Research methodology consisted of reading available literature and a panel discussion wiht three Soviet language teaching specialists, then review of a draft report by additional specialists from Moscow and the United States. The report…

A study investigated the relationship between the 1982 native language proficiency of 4,700 newly-enrolled Spanish-speaking, limited-English-proficient (LEP) kindergarten through seventh grade students and their success rates in acquiring English proficiency in the following 4 years. Findings of the study, and the implications derived from the…

Identifies differences between bilingual programs for minority language children and second-language immersion programs for majority language children. Examines points of mutual relevance between approaches. Discusses exemplary characteristics of effective second-language learning environments: integration of language and academic instruction,…

Discussion of multilingual education looks at three European models, each designed for a different population, and compares them with the Canadian immersion model. The models are: (1) trilingual education applied to the entire school population of Luxembourg; (2) multilingual education in the nine-institution, five-city European School network,…

A discussion of bilingual education analyzes current issues, reviews related research, describes innovative and exemplary program formats for dual-language programming, and examines issues in bilingual education for both limited-English-proficient (LEP) students and monolingual native-English-speakers. The first chapter provides an overview of…

The Los Angeles Unified School District's bilingual education program provides elementary school limited-English-proficient (LEP) students with full bilingual classroom programs and individual learning programs, based on LEP population. The program also provides secondary school students with instruction in English as a Second Language and…

At the Louisiana State University Laboratory School, the 4-year course sequences in French and Spanish use American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency guidelines as a basis for planning for language skill development. In listening proficiency, the course sequence integrates teaching of listening skills with other…

Louisiana's elementary school French second language program is described. An introductory section gives background information about program history. The second contains a statement concerning the foreign language crisis in American education, written to be used as a public awareness presentation. Section 3 outlines the state's overall program…

The curriculum guide for the basic German second language program in Manitoba elementary and secondary schools is presented. The first part offers the rationale for the broad goals of the program, with a focus on the benefits of cultural and language education for individuals and society alike. This section also contains a discussion of the…