This article examines the Spanish proverb, "quien habla dos idiomas vale por dos," which literally translates to mean he who speaks two languages is worth two people and applies its meaning to immigrant children who are language brokers for their families. Historically, the United States has not promoted multilingualism and even frowned…

Language and cultural preservation efforts among different communities of language speakers in the United States have received increasing attention as interest in linguistic rights and globalization continues to deepen. In addition to mounting evidence of the cognitive, psychological, and academic benefits of heritage language/community language…

Traces the Bilingual Education Act's (BEA) evolution from its inception (1968) through its most recent reauthorization (1994) as the primary federal legislative effort to provide equal educational opportunity to language minorities. Discusses assimilation versus multiculturalism as a philosophical basis for education reforms, litigation preceding…

Sociolinguistic information is needed for proper implementation of bilingual education programs. The survey discussed here was designed to provide information on the sociolinguistic parameters in the bilingual community, identification of the transfer or maintenance status of Spanish, and the selection of a bilingual education program. A…

Argues against bilingual education in the United States, asserting that the English language binds together a multicultural people. Claims that the Bilingual Education Act of 1968 is divisive, and that immigrants now have greater difficulty assimilating to American life because they can avoid learning English. (MM)

In the past 25 years, American Indian education has undergone tremendous changes in both content (curriculum and pedagogy) and context (institutional framework). Centered on the issue of control, changes at both levels have resulted from a dynamic interplay between federal language policy and local initiatives. The federal Bilingual Education Act…

Examines federally funded bilingual education programs for American Indians and Alaska Natives from a language planning perspective. It is argued that federal programs represent an exoglossic (externally orientated) policy that can contribute to language loss. Indigenous communities need to develop endoglossic (community-orientated) policies that…

This paper presents an overview of the impact of the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title VII Spanish/English bilingual program. Student, teacher, and project data were collected in 38 projects in their fourth or fifth year of funding, along with data from non-Title VII comparison schools. The research design of this national study is…

Whether bilingual-bicultural education will become a change agent and secure equal status with other programs as a desirable and essential aspect of the American educational process is still a question. Like all socio-political issues, its future depends upon the attitudes and beliefs of the populace. One of the current stumbling blocks for the…

This review of current federal and state legislation provides information on characteristics of bilingual education programs, mandated by law, that are of importance to evaluators. The legislative summaries are presented in two sections: across-states summary of legislative provisions and state-by-state summary of legislative provisions.…