This book provides comprehensive resources for the critical discussion of major issues in learning to read Chinese from a child acquisition perspective. It is divided into 4 parts and 11 chapters. Part 1, "Theoretical Perspectives on Learning to Read" includes "Current Issues in Learning To Read Chinese" (Ovid J.L. Tzeng),…

This volume contains the following articles: "Orthography and Identity in Cameroon" (Steven Bird); "Literacy Evaluation Tool" (Becky Feldpausch, Jean Nichols, Robin Rempel); "Kenyang Literacy Program" (Tanyi Eyong Mbuagbaw); "Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E): A Brief Overview" (Ian Mowatt);…

A native English-speaker explores the reasons why she persists in speaking her husband's native language, Chinese, at an intermediate level at home, despite the fact that she lives in the United States. She looks, in a humorous way, at the errors she has made in learning Chinese, some cultural contexts for language choice, the importance of…

A study of English speakers' acquisition of relative clauses in Chinese, Japanese, Persian, German, and Portugese is reported. Various structures were tested to separate interlanguage features attributable to first language interference from those universal to second language acquisition. Application of an accessibility hierarchy theory and…

Gives an overview of the issue of English medium and Chinese medium schools in Hong Kong. The issues addressed are: (1) the two official languages in Hong Kong; (2) government policy; (3) selection of language of instruction; (4) problems in the use of English as medium of instruction; and (5) a suggested solution. (AMH)

Four plays about the heritage and lifestyles of American Blacks, Chinese Americans, Jews, and Puerto Ricans were used to teach fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students in two New York City schools. A study showed that the plays and accompanying curriculum materials did increase children's knowledge about and acceptance of other groups. (Authors/PP)

Presents a sample lesson from a junior high multi-ethnic women's studies unit and sample activities from a high school women's studies course. Also briefly describes the unit and course as a whole. (CK)

Examined achievement goals and their correlates in physical education in 180 Chinese students and 121 Anglo-American students in grades 4, 5, and 6. The same two-dimensional factor structure of goal orientation (task and ego orientation) cut across the two cultural groups in physical education, but relationships seemed to vary as a function of…

Studies educational experiences and attitudes of 200 Chinese secondary school students in Manchester (England). Findings support the claim that most were confident in their school work and most liked school. Incidents of racial bullying may account for the low self-esteem of some of these students. (SLD)

Discusses how the different conceptions of a "private world" between native English speakers and native Chinese speakers can result in misunderstandings. The study examines the semantic structures of two Chinese categories, "si" (i.e., private, selfish, illegal) and "gong" (i.e., public, unselfish, official). Results…

Provides a brief account and explanation of the phenomenon of language use among the Baba community, which uses Hokkien, Malay, and English in the process of code selection and code mixing/switching. Data are drawn from recordings of conversation of the Babas and Nyonyas. (Author/OD)

Suggests that the difficulties encountered by Westerners in learning Chinese are the result of native language interference, and interference caused by different customs and ways of thinking. A contrastive analysis of the different cultural aspects of Chinese and Western ways of thinking is presented. (VWL)

Investigates the acquisition of English synthetic compounding by 15 native Spanish and 11 native Chinese speakers, finding that although the production of regular plurals in English compounds was rampantly pervasive, the overall rate of correct omission of /-s/ inside compounds was roughly chance. The results are compared with previous studies.…

Describes an English immersion "Bridge Program" for Hong Kong children that aims to provide a bridge between primary schooling in Chinese and secondary schooling in English. Also discussed are the role of communicative language teaching in content subject teaching, theoretical assumptions of Canadian immersion programs and the Bridge…

Argues that black culture, the racial unity on which it rests, and the idea of Blackness or Africanity itself are under attack. The author places the assault of Africanity in historic and hemispheric contexts and examines the reasons it is being launched at this time. (GR)