This book provides a comprehensive introduction to bilingualism and bilingual education. In a compact and clear style, bilingualism is discussed at individual, group, and national levels. The 20 chapters cover essential issues and controversies about language minorities and bilingual education. These include the following: defining who is…

This paper reviews the history of Title VII bilingual education in Hawaii for the purpose of sharing promising practices that have emerged. The implementation of these models in Hawaii has resulted in such outcomes as the following: (1) improvement in students' English language skills; (2) improvement in students' academic achievement; (3)…

A study compared two methods for assessing English proficiency of limited-English-proficient school-age children, for purposes of placement in bilingual and monolingual education programs. The two instruments used were the Idea Oral Language Proficiency Test (forms C and D) (IPT), which assesses oral English proficiency, and the Woodcock-Munoz…

Articles in Italian, English, French, and German address issues in minority languages and minority language groups. They include: "The Role of Italian in Some Changes in Walser Morphosyntax" (article in Italian); "Compensatory Linguistic Strategies in the Gradual Death Process of a Minority Language: Evidence from Some Dying…

This study examined immigrant parents' role in their young children's language learning and development in linguistically different contexts. At home, participating children lived with parents who spoke little or no English and various other languages. At school, children were taught mostly by English speaking teachers, with occasional teacher…

This hour-long videotape captures the events of "First and Second Language Literacy: From Research to Practice," a literacy teleconference hosted by Pacific Resources for Education and Learning (PREL). Regional and national educators explore research-based effective practices for teaching and reading to diverse student populations.…

Decades of research document the powerful academic and socio-affective benefits of a strong home language base and affirmation of home language and culture as a valuable resource. This article explores the implicit challenges, daily realities, opportunities, and practical implications of incorporating language and culture into classrooms as they…

This regional dossier aims to provide concise, descriptive information and basic educational statistics about minority language education in a specific region of the European Union--the Basque country of northern Spain. Aspects that are addressed include features of the education system, recent educational policies, main actors, legal…

An increasing number of students entering California's schools come from non-English speaking backgrounds. Although some of these language minority students enter school already proficient in English, the majority do not. These students are now referred to as English learners. There are several reasons why Californians need to pay careful…

The annual report of the U.S. Department of Education includes the Secretary of Education's report, and program-by-program analysis of the agency's principal operating components: the Office of the Secretary; the Office of the Under Secretary; the Office of Inspector General; the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education; the Office of Special…

This study examined the importance of several factors hypothesized to influence teachers' attitudes about language diversity (experience with language minority students, region of the country, formal training, graduate study, and grade level taught). Surveys of teachers from three states indicated that attitudes differed significantly by…

Recommendations are provided for the development of multicultural competence in order for collaborating teachers to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students who are at risk of failing. Four general competencies are identified: understanding one's perspective; using effective interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving…

This article examines issues in bilingual special education in the context of moving from a skills-based approach to a whole language approach. Classroom observations in a self-contained elementary classroom for students with learning disabilities revealed the role of the native language and background experiences, the teacher's role in assessing…

The action research case study of the introduction of a Somali refugee child to a London (England) primary school illustrates the importance of finding ways to communicate with the child, who spoke no English, and preparing the other students to accept cultural and linguistic difference. (SLD)

A study examined minority-language use at a Tucson (Arizona) dual-language school and shifting patterns of language dominance in the surrounding Mexican American neighborhood. The minority-language resources most immediately available--held by fluent bilingual elders and recent Mexican immigrants--were less used than those of majority-language…