During the Spanish regimen, Puerto Rican education was limited and restricted to Spanish language as the medium of instruction. It was not until the U.S. colonization of the island that public education was introduced. As a result, English replaced Spanish as medium of instruction in the new educational system. Immediately after, Puerto Rican…

Examines the likelihood of the dominant position of English coming under serious challenge as a world language. Discusses factors such as writing systems, standardization, and modernization.(Author/VWL)

Explores the extent of language transition and the resilience of immigrant languages based on data from south Florida. Results from 2,843 children of immigrants show that interest in and preference for English is very high and that preservation of the parental language decays with length of U.S. residence. Relationships of bilingualism and…

Identifies four misconceptions about language proficiency which are currently impeding the implementation of effective bilingual education programs. Misconceptions involve: (1) surface structure deviations and academic achievement; (2) surface fluency and "English Proficiency"; (3) bilingual language proficiency and instruction; and (4)…

This report discusses the role and status in China of the English language, the main foreign language in the country. The following topics are outlined: (1) The prevalence of English as a foreign language; (2) English within the educational system at preprimary through postsecondary levels, in preservice and inservice teacher training, in…

This literature review summarizes and analyzes the current literature on variables predicting high school dropping out and the relationship between those variables and language minority youth (defined as those who are national origin minorities by birth and who speak, in varying degrees, languages other than English). After the introduction, which…

A survey of the status and use of the English language in Algeria is presented. The following topics are outlined: (1) the role of English as a third language, (2) its place within the educational system at all levels and in each graduate institution, (3) the status of British expatriates teaching English in Algeria and of Algerian teachers of…

Explores the alternatives best suited to teach limited English proficient students in the United States, and considers whether those alternatives are aimed at developing and conserving language resources. Also offers a brief history of bilingual education in the United States from 1550 on. (JB)

A profile of the role and status of the English language in Lesotho, Africa, is presented. The following topics are outlined: (1) the extent of the use of English as the second official language; (2) instruction in English at the elementary and secondary levels and at each of the postsecondary institutions in the country; (3) the number, ratio,…

This chapter describes the nature of bilingual education for Hispanics of Mexican origin (Chicanos), outlines successful and unsuccessful classroom approaches to bilingual education, and proposes a research agenda for the future. Four principal approaches have been used in observational studies of language use in bilingual classrooms, including…