Discusses the language development of Gypsie children and explores some of the problems they encounter as a minority group in England. (RB)

Definitions of literacy are discussed, and research related to the transfer of literacy skills is reviewed. Some practical applications of research findings are suggested. (Contains 32 references.) (LB)

Forty-eight Black children, ages 4 to 9 years, who utilized features of Black English in their oral language, participated in a study which investigated selected linguistic features believed to be a function of age among children. (Author/MH)

Semilingualism is discussed as a sociolinguistic concept and is viewed as a mediating variable when the society reproduces the class structure and vocational structure of suppressed minorities. A Finnish group of immigrant children in Sweden is the minority considered. It was found that the longer the Finnish children were educated in Finnish, the…

The purpose of this study was to identify factors that predict the first- and second-language proficiency of ethnic minority children at the age of six. Results of the study show two dimensions that underlie children's proficiency in either language: communicative skills versus cognitive/academic skills. (45 references) (JL)

This paper discusses the effect of the Mexican American's bilingualism on his English language development. It cites recent research reports which state that bilingualism does not have a negative effect upon language development when socio-environmental factors are controlled or considered. Investigations of the syntactic development of Chicano…

This paper considers a number of diverse contexts in which English is learned as a second language and in which nonstandard dialects arise because of social and linguistic factors. The varieties considered here are immigrant English, indigenous-minority varieties of English, pidginization and creolization, local varieties of non-native English,…

The linguistic situation of the Mexican-American community is complex, involving multiglossia and multilingualism. Various language codes and different blendings of English and Spanish are in use within the community. Educators should decide which code they will use in their planning. Research is needed to consider the various codes and their…

Research findings on written language and literacy in Europe over the past five years are summarized, including the following areas of study: construct of literacy, assessment of literacy problems, emergent literacy, reading and writing development, and individual differences in literacy acquisition. (140 references) (LB)

This paper discusses several aspects of the need for research in communication education for black children. Initial comments underline the need for educating teachers in communication behavior and teaching methods. The complex nature of the problem under review indicates the need for careful delineation of the problem for effective research and…

A collection of papers discusses the importance of bilingual education's goals of high-level English proficiency, appropriate cognitive/academic development, and adequate psychosocial and cultural adjustment for language-minority students and describes various instructional strategies to achieve those outcomes. The papers include: "The Role…

The experiment described in this report investigates two basic questions concerning beginning reading instruction to speakers of nonstandard dialects. 1--Will learning to read be facilitated if the primary reading material is phrased in the actual word patterns and grammatical structure used by the children in their oral speech? 2--Will learning…

This article explores the hypothesis that members of a minority group whose language is other than English are fossilizing their second language patterns in an effort to retain stronger ties with their native culture. An investigation is conducted in which eight undergraduate students of the University of Texas at San Antonio have served as…

This collection of articles related to language issues and literacy and bilingual and multicultural education include the following: "Three Processes in the Child's Acquisition of Syntax" (Roger Brown and Ursula Bellugi); "Pre-School Children's Knowledge of English Phonology" (Charles Read); "Stages in Language Development and Reading Exposure"…

A two-and-a-half-year study in northern Ontario (Canada) investigated the relationship between characteristics of the minority French-speaking community, home environment, and the school and classroom environments. Focus was on factors affecting the development and maintenance of cultural awareness, ethnic identity, and communicative competence in…