The increasing linguistic and cultural diversity of U.S. public schools requires teachers to be more sensitive to how symbols and figures of speech are used to maintain an effective cross-cultural communication. The purpose of this paper is to address and discuss the role of sociocultural factors that shape the insights and perspectives of diverse…

A study of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learners' self-efficacy and its relationship to achievement is reported. Subjects were four students from the highest level reading and writing class in Indiana University's intensive English program. Each was interviewed in a tape-recorded session, to explore his/her English learning experience and…

The Literacy Task Force of the San Diego City Schools sought to develop a set of criteria for a balanced literacy program by using a process that involved all stakeholders--parents, teachers, businesses, higher education, and other community members. The balanced program, by its nature, would address the needs of all the city's students, with the…

This report is the culmination of a process that began in 1994, at a planning meeting to determine whether there was a sufficient knowledge base to inform the development of a research agenda on the education of language minority children. A committee was established to review what is known about the linguistic, cognitive, and social processes…

At the University of Miami, the Bilingual Study Group has been evaluating linguistic and academic performance of children from a broad spectrum of socioeconomic status who appear to be well-matched across bilingual and monolingual groups. Because the studies vary in the degree of exposure to English and Spanish among bilingual subjects who are…

This report describes a program that was designed to end the isolation typically experienced by language minority students in traditional bilingual education and to provide language majority students the opportunity to acquire proficiency in a second Language. The program served 4 classes of approximately 22 students each (85 students) in…

A study used the Preschool Teacher Verbal Behavior Index (PTVBI) to measure the extent to which classrooms were learner-directed or teacher-directed. The instrument can be used to help teachers learn the appropriate degree of control for different classroom situations and individual learner needs. Verbatim teachers statements are categorized as…

Written for the layperson, this books presents perspectives in support of cultural diversity in America and against language restrictionism and establishment of English as the single official language. In a series of topical discussions, the book brings what linguists have learned about language acquisition to the issue of how the United States…

As a conclusion to a symposium on issues related to diversity and American education reform in the context of Goal 3 of the National Education Goals, this paper summarizes important issues of language and culture that must be faced in the process of implementing Goal 3. One of the prerequisites for dealing effectively with these issues is an…

This study sought to determine under what conditions 14 recent Mexican immigrant high school students thought they used and acquired English as a Second Language (ESL) in an "English Only" high school in California. Each of the 14 students was interviewed at least twice and "shadowed" for 2 days in school. Follow-up interviews and observations…

Since the mid-1980s two-way bilingual education programs have attracted renewed interest as an effective way to educate both language-minority and language-majority students. This report, which describes and assesses the current state of such programs in the United States, is based on data collected from 169 schools during the 1991-92, 1992-93,…

This annotated bibliography contains 32 citations of journal articles, book chapters, and books that focus on the teaching of writing in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) classrooms. (MDM)

The role of English language training in Japan's move toward corporate internationalization is addressed, particularly in terms of the importance of English, the nature and quality of training, and the ramifications of that training regarding global competition. It is noted that the Japanese language is not suited for the sort of confrontation,…

This bibliography of research in adult literacy and basic skills is selective, covering research undertaken in industrialized countries in the 20 years between 1972 and 1992. It concentrates primarily on research into basic skills undertaken in English-speaking countries, although it also has a European dimension. Entries are categorized under 18…

The less commonly taught languages (LCTLs) have entered mainstream foreign language teaching only in the last decade. The LCTLs include all languages other than French, German, and Spanish and can be divided into several subgroups, including "truly foreign languages" (TFLs) that are not cognate to English. While TFLs have never been very visible…