Suggests that an arbitrary placement of young children in bilingual programs without adequate prior assessment to detect actual language needs and competencies may be less productive than immediate English instruction. (RB)

This bulletin is the first of three designed to give detailed help on fostering language competence in 4- to 6-year-old school children. The bulletin introduces the teacher to a group of prepositions and conjunctions (chosen from the Dolch Basic Sight Vocabulary List of 220 Words) which are important to the meaning of sentences. The list was…

Discusses basic models of the processes of translation, second language teaching and learning, and semantization. A judicious use of many procedures is urged, because translation is present in the semantization process regardless of method used. It is noted that considerable research is still needed. (AMH)

Linguistics can contribute to language education by making teachers empirically aware of the complexity of language, methodologically attuned to improved teaching techniques, and theoretically informed about the general nature of language. Past education projects which have been affected by the application of linguistic principles are Breakthrough…

Traces recent developments in the Supreme Court's view of the responsibilities of school districts to offer educational programs for linguistic-minority students. Also outlines various conceptions of appropriate instruction for these students ranging from English as a Second Language (ESL) to bilingual-bicultural programs. (Author/RK)

A panel discussion of the effect of immersion programs on first and second language learning. Questions are raised regarding the effectiveness of the regular curriculum, results of immersion for majority language and minority or immigrant children, the meaning of linguistic competence and underlying cognitive and intellectual processes. (AMH)

The present paper reports on a study conducted in 1973, designed to measure the English competence and performance of bilingual fourth graders in selected schools in southern Arizona and the extent to which the first language (Spanish) interfered with the second (English). The study also attempted to determine which patterns might yet be unlearned…

This paper discusses three linguistic theories related to communicative competence and English for special purposes in terms of the needs of post-graduate students in Guyarti, India. First, Hymes' theory of communicative competence is understood to be advocating a wider concept of competence than Chomsky's theory. Hymes states that a normal child…

This document considers the language arts instructional materials in use in the primary schools of Trinidad and Tobago and questions how effectively these materials cater to the development of competence in the English language by children whose vernacular language differs structurally in a fundamental way from Internationally Acceptable English.…

In language instruction, a dependable informational base of fact, experience, or judgment is essential if students are to develop a functional literacy. Yet the language information base in use today--the set of concepts about what language is, how it works, and how individual languages are maintained--has proven inadequate and unreliable. Reform,…

The study prepares the ground for the introduction of a language learning system for adults. Part 1 presents a draft outline of such a system, in which the language material to be learned is organized into units and credits awarded on the completion of each unit. The content is defined with reference to the nature of the learners and their…

A Language-research experiment designed to examine the linguistic competence of bilingual Italian-American children demonstrates that structures shared by Italian and English are acquired in approximately the same order and at the same rate, and that the sequencing of specific structures reflects linguistic complexity. Structures appearing in both…

The goal of European immigrants to the United States was characterized by the "melting pot" image up until the late 1960's. Then a trend of revival of the identity of ethnic minorities changed the slogan to "from the melting pot to the salad bowl." Cultural pluralism and maintenance of native languages became the goals of the movement. The massive…

It is easier for non-English-speaking preschool children to learn new concepts if they are introduced in their own language. Once the child has mastered the concept, it can be introduced in the second language. The program described in this report is designed for Mexican-American preschool children. Content of the program is selected to relate…

At the root of many early childhood bilingual education programs is the widespread belief that the two languages must be used and taught in different contexts, since the failure to do so would inevitably produce a single mixed language. From a study of the results achieved over a ten-year period, it would seem that, if at least one of the…