The author moved from Guatemala to California with her mom. In this article, she talks about the challenges of learning English. She needs to learn English to take care of her mom until her "papa" comes to take care of them. If she knows English she can help her mother with the groceries and answering the phone. She can also teach her…

This article explores how class might be brought to the fore as an identity inscription in studies of second language learning, alongside other identity inscriptions such as gender, ethnicity and national identity, which have been the focus of rather more research. It begins by clarifying what is meant by class through a brief discussion of the…

From a critical language perspective, the main issues facing education of immigrant populations are the ways in which these populations are segregated as the Other and how educational practices often work to perpetuate a fringe status. In this paper, I draw upon both discursive perspectives on policymaking and pedagogical practices to address the…

Every government wants to appear to be tough on asylum seekers. But in failing to offer newcomers immediate access to English language learning one runs the risk of missing out on significant economic and social cohesion benefits. In this article, the author argues that asylum seekers need to get English language support in their first six months…

Districts and schools across the country are looking for ways to adequately meet the needs of newcomers, many of whom are not proficient in English when they arrive in the United States. In fact, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Schools and Staffing Survey reports that nearly 4 million, or 8 percent, of the nation's K-12…

The report consists of four case studies which show the extent and importance of the problem of education of migrant workers and their families as seen by Finland, France, Sweden, and Yugoslavia. Dealing mainly with the education of second generation Finnish workers in Sweden, the first study addresses the teaching of the mother tongue and the…

The proceedings of a colloquy on the education and cultural development of migrant women, sponsored by the Council of Europe's Council for Cultural Co-operation (CDCC), are summarized in this volume, which includes background papers, speeches, discussion summaries, recommendations, and bibliographies. The opening section explains the history of…