Recent advances in psycholinguistics, cognitive psychology, and information processing theory have produced several notions that have revolutionized previous conceptions of reading and what it means to understand. These notions support the idea that more emphasis should be placed on reading comprehension skills in the English as a second language…

For students without a command of English, the use of English to teach mathematics skills and concepts is a barrier to learning. While research on the subject is not conclusive, it is an appropriate assumption that for a student to master the concepts, he must master the language of the concepts. Based on this premise, the Second Language Approach…

An ethnographic study of a Philadelphia elementary school program in English as a second language focused on the way children's first and second languages were used in the classroom, and how this use of language was connected to the learning process. It was found that despite teachers' claims of emphasis on communication skills, a number of…

An argument is presented for making English language education more appropriate to the social requirements of students and educators in different environments throughout the world. This book recommends the use of ethnographic action research to find culturally appropriate methodologies and a shift in teacher education from mastery of culturally…

It is proposed that as both bilingual education (BE) and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs continue to define their specific philosophies more clearly, the definitions are beginning to overlap in significant ways. In differing degrees, they are beginning to understand and appreciate the complexity of dual language learning and teaching.…

The analysis presented here attempts to specify the various conditions, including school-wide and classroom practices, that maximize English language learners' opportunities to meet challenging outcome expectations, and synthesize them into a model for change at the levels of school and classroom. The attributes of effective programs identified…

A national survey investigated the extent and design of programs in which content instruction is combined with instruction in English as a Second Language (content-ESL). Findings are summarized here. Is was found that about 15 percent of all public schools, and all states, have such programs, with heaviest concentration in the south and southwest…

This handbook is a guide to creating and managing citizenship programs for the elderly learner; a task made more urgent by the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which denies many federal and state benefits for non-citizen elderly people. The handbook brings together insights and observations…

A guide to designing programs in English language arts for limited English proficient (LEP) students is intended for school districts to use in developing their own program manuals based on locally relevant needs. An introductory section gives background for LEP program development, and subsequent sections outline (1) identification procedures for…

The design of California's Structured English Immersion (SEI) program for limited-English-speaking students, which replaced its bilingual education program by state mandate, is described and suggestions for implementation are offered. SEI has several variations, each characterized by (1) extensive use of English and (2) use of…

A brief review of what is known about teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to adults focuses on four areas: characteristics and needs of adult English language learners; program design and instructional practices; ESL teacher preparation and staff development; and learner assessment and outcomes. Teachers are urged to let colleagues,…

Reasons for establishing an extensive reading approach to teaching reading in English as a Second Language at a Japanese high school are enumerated, and some recommendations for implementing such a program are offered. Research on comprehensible input in language learning, particularly input from reading as an effective and efficient source, is…

A plan for teaching American culture in a summer intensive course in English as a Second Language, at the intermediate level and focusing on speaking and listening skills, is detailed. The approach used to design the cultural unit integrates two models for culture education and the experiential learning cycle. The report begins with an explanation…

A discussion of the cognitive development of bilingual children and its implications for early childhood education for this population begins with a review of recent research on bilingual development. It looks at the forms and results of research projects on dual language acquisition processes, the interactive influence of multiple language…

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…