English learners (ELs) represent a large and rapidly growing proportion of US public school students. Federal law requires public schools to provide ELs with linguistic supports necessary to equalize their access to instruction with that of native English-speaking students. Most ELs are eventually reclassified and receive instruction within a…

Preparation and provision for transition between primary and secondary school get mixed reviews across all subjects. The literature suggests that modern languages is an area deserving particular attention. There are examples of good practice in transition, but the general picture is, at best, patchy. Researchers [e.g. Blondin, C., M. Candelier, P.…

One in five school-age children in the U.S. speaks a language other than English at home (Zeigler & Camarota, 2014). Roughly half of these emerging bilingual students (Garcia, 2009) are classified as English learners (ELs) when they enter school, meaning they do not meet state or district criteria for English proficiency (NCES, 2015). As the…

Between 69 percent and 90 percent of English language learners (ELLs) in middle and high schools were born in the United States and have been in U.S. schools since kindergarten still have not achieved the academic proficiency to succeed in an all-English mainstream program. Various ELL program options are available for school districts to…

Based on a review of twenty-eight studies, this report examines the success of transitional bilingual education proqrams in leading to better performance in English and in nonlanguage subject areas. The following conclusions are offered: (1) Schools can improve the achievement level of language minority children through proper programs. (2) There…

The first two volumes of the Research in English Acquisition and Development (READ) Institute journal, which cover 1993-1995, contain reports of research and programs in English-as-a-Second-Language instruction, bilingual education, and services to limited-English-proficient individuals. Articles include: "Second Language Teaching: A Theoretical…

Discusses the introduction of languages other than English (LOTE) into primary schools in Australia, focusing on curriculum planning, classroom methodology, and student transition from primary to secondary language programs. Emphasizes the need to break down the barriers between primary and secondary second language instruction. (15 references)…

Literature on current methods of teaching language in bilingual education is reviewed and a new approach is suggested. It is suggested that a specialized sequence of native language courses should be offered to populations of language minority students with the same vernacular language. The approach proposed integrates bilingual education, English…

This study looks at predicting the length of time the students in the Dallas Public School District (Texas) will remain in a limited English program. Student growth rates determined from 3 years of data were analyzed and compared to expected growth rates identified by the "Woodcock-Munoz Language Survey (WMLS)." The WMLS annual expected…

The Transcultural Education Model presents a unified working model for teaching limited English proficient, English-as-Second-Language (ESL), or English-as-Second-Language transcultural (ESLT) students to read, write, and speak English. The model is designed for students and teachers in elementary, secondary, and adult schools. The model is…

The activities of the third year of the Bilingual Education for Student Achievement (BESA) Project, conducted by the San Mateo County (California) Office of Education is described. The first section provides a brief description of the program, of which the major purpose was to provide English language instruction for limited-English-proficient…

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)

Current versions of Massachusetts state laws, regulations, policy statements, and guidelines concerning the education of limited-English-proficient (LEP) children are compiled here. They include: a policy statement from the state board of education; a synopsis of the mandatory transitional bilingual education law of 1971, in question-and-answer…

Argues that the theoretical consensus on second language learning, which focuses on instruction in the target language, contradicts the main premises used by bilingual education advocates to gain respectability for bilingual education programs. The roles of translation, transfer, input, and interaction in the Eastman model of bilingual education,…

The four issues contain articles on the diagnosis and treatment of learning disabilities (LDs). Article titles and authors include: "Learning Disability Specialist Looks at Foreign Language Instruction" (Elissa Fisher); "Physician Questions Reliability of Central Auditory Processing Tests in Diagnosing LD" (Daniel Schwartz); "Educator Urges…