The usefulness of classifications within and comparisons among languages as a means of discovering the commonalities of human language is discussed. Metalinguistics offers not only the potential for analyzing the specifics of each language, but also the tools for teaching across languages. (MSE)

Research indicates that the number of ethnic community mother tongue schools may actually be increasing in the United States. These schools moderate and modulate ethnic uniqueness while channeling Americanness via the community's own institutions. (Author/GC)

Describes the educational situation facing "retornado" families and children, Mexican transnational immigrants moving between New York City and Puebla, Mexico. Examines factors underlying the current lack of first language and second language instruction for the Spanish-English bilinguals returning to live in Mexico. Offers suggestions…

Although Kashmiri is the first language of 3-4 million people, it has many features of a minority language. This article reports research suggesting that teachers in Kashmir have a poor opinion of the language, question whether it is really a language, and wonder whether it is worth teaching. (Contains 28 references.) (JL)

Surveys language awareness in Netherlands, outlining history of language awareness in Holland, tracing back to late nineteenth-century reform movement. Second section deals with teaching Dutch as a native language, third gives account of what language awareness means in context of Dutch as a second language, and fourth describes language awareness…

Clahsen and Felser's article (CF) is an important contribution to the field of psycholinguistics in several respects. First, it draws attention to the importance of a better understanding of the processing mechanisms utilized by child and adult language learners. Differences in these mechanisms may be responsible for the final outcome of the…

If the United States is going to take advantage of the linguistic skills of millions of children in this country who speak languages other than English at home, policy has to change at the district, state, and national levels, experts in the field say. Citing Dearborn public schools as an example, the author illustrates the importance of heritage…

Eight pre-schools took part in offsite and onsite speech and language training to improve their interaction skills with children and learn some group language activities. An evaluation was undertaken where practitioners at one pre-school were videoed running a language activity before and after training. The video was analysed to assess change in…

In 2008 the Council of Australian Government (COAG), which comprises the Prime Minister, State Premiers and Territory Chief Ministers, agreed to a new reform agenda to ensure that all Australian school students acquire the knowledge and skills to participate effectively in society and employment in a globalised economy. In order to advance its…

The National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education (CARE), consisting of a national commission, an advisory board, and a research team at New York University, aims to engage realistic and actionable discussions about the mobility and educational opportunities for AAPIs and how distinctions of race, ethnicity,…

This study examined how providing either primary- or English-language storybooks for home reading followed by classroom storybook reading and vocabulary instruction in English influenced English vocabulary acquisition. Participants in the study were preschool children (N = 33), from low socioeconomic status families, whose primary language was…

This publication contains Arizona public schools' academic standards for grade 4. The contents of this document include the following: (1) The Arts Standard 2006--Grade 4; (2) Comprehensive Health Education/Physical Activity Standards 1997--Essentials (Grades 4-8); (3) Foreign and Native Language Standards 1997--Essentials (Grades 4-8); (4)…

Testimony concerning Senate Bill 1595 includes statements submitted by Senator Daniel Inouye, from the Select Committee on Indian Affairs, and S. Timothy Wapato, Commissioner, Administration for Native Americans, Department of Health and Human Services. The bill in question aims to preserve and enhance the ability of Alaska Natives to speak and…

A collaborative research effort to investigate the relative strengths of selected vocabulary development techniques was conducted by the Wisconsin Center for Education Research and the Taiwan Provincial Institute for Elementary School Teachers' Inservice Education. Parallel studies of children in grades 4 through 6 compared the two prior knowledge…

A primer for teaching Hmongs to read and write in their own language contains 67 lessons. It teaches literacy in the Roman alphabet used by Hmongs throughout the world, and is intended for students who have already learned to recognize and write the letters of that alphabet. The book uses spellings of the White dialect of Hmong (Hmoob Dawb) but…