A study investigated the usefulness of adopting innovative, student-centered instructional techniques in two traditional but very different cultures, Turkey and Puerto Rico. In each country, the study occurred in a program to train teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL). Using a student-centered approach, trainees learned how to prepare…

A research project that developed methods for describing, organizing, analyzing, and predicting state education policy activity had as its major focus the way that values affect that policy. Data were drawn from six states: Wisconsin, Illinois, California, Arizona, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. They were chosen to represent ranges of political…

The purpose of this curriculum, part of Project Reaching Out, is to provide African-Americans with low incidence disabilities an overview of information on assistive technology in a manner that respects differences in beliefs, interpersonal styles, and behaviors. Low incidence disabilities are defined as deafness, blindness, deaf blindness,…

This report focuses on Hispanic American culture in the schools of the lower Rio Bravo Valley (Texas) through impressions and descriptions of the interrelationship of school and community. School culture is defined as reflecting the shared characteristics and uniqueness of the community cultures around the school. The school cultures of the Valley…

This discussion of bilingual education in the United States begins with a review of the historical and political context in which it has evolved since the late 1800s. Policy issues and some research are examined here. It then outlines the theoretical and conceptual debate, focusing on four major theoretical frameworks used to justify bilingual…

A survey of 20 university students of English as a Second Language in China revealed lack of understanding of the role of listening in communication. Students believed they had good understanding of English vocabulary but had difficulty understanding a speaker's main ideas. Only a minority agreed that listener feedback affects the speaker's…

Keyano College (KC), in northeast Alberta, has been involved in several successful partnerships with native communities to deliver community-based programs. Strong college/community partnerships recognize the cultural identity of participants while providing them with the skills vital to personal, community, and economic development. Because the…

A study undertaken in China investigated the attitudes of 512 students of English as a Second Language, aged 18-52, in 15 colleges and universities. A two-part, semi-structured, open-ended questionnaire, was administered in 1988 and 1989. The first part, the Chinese Values Survey, was designed to examine cultural values from an Eastern rather than…

A discussion of cultural differences in politeness in speech focuses on differences between and among American, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean cultural patterns and the role that language can play in creating misunderstanding. It is argued that effective intercultural communication requires cultural competence. Examples are offered concerning a…

A study explored the relevance of acculturation theory to language fossilization in the advanced stages of second language learning. Case studies of two native Japanese speakers with long experience living in an English-speaking environment are examined. First, the model of acculturation is outlined: it proposes that socio-psychological factors,…

This paper discusses issues involved in teaching culturally diverse students and questions current practices in multicultural teacher education. The central portion of the paper describes and discusses an alternative approach to multicultural teacher education through the Teachers for Alaska program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Teachers…

Six annotated bibliographies prepared by graduate students address topics related to methodology for teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Each bibliography defines a topic area, gives pedagogical criteria for selecting entries, and provides brief annotations for relevant recent citations. The six…

Suggesting new policies for integrating technology into existing goals of the public schools, this book presents the argument that substantial educational improvements can be made through the use of computers. Chapter 1 contains an assessment describing the nature of technology events thought likely to occur during the 1980s. (A technology event…

Although most educators agree that cross cultural education is a valuable component of the curriculum and that it offers students the opportunity to understand differences and commonalities among people, there is little agreement about how to teach such a subject. An anthroliterary approach to this discipline helps students understand and…

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's classic work "Emile" of 1762 is contrasted with Henry G. Giroux's 1981 book "Ideology Culture and the Process of Schooling." Although both Giroux and Rousseau are social critics, their notions about education and its outcome are contrary and not due to historical time alone. This comparative analysis…