Three major studies on English and native language use in the classrooms of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students are reviewed for the insights they provide on effective teaching practices and special services for this population. The bilingual education profession misunderstands and misuses what the literature says about instruction for LEP…

Papers include: "Another Dimension of Readiness To Learn in the Second Language"; "Medium of Instruction in Black Education in Southern Africa"'; "Language Across the Curriculum"; "Die milieu binne die skool" ("The Environment Inside the School"); "Language in Black Education: The Environment…

For Mexican American students, grade-level reading and overall academic achievement decline, as measured by standardized tests, as they progress through the educational system. By grade seven, 65% of Mexican American students fail one or more grade levels below expected achievement. To reverse this trend of academic failure, teachers need to use…

A segment of a study of the acquisition of English literacy among limited English speaking students in selected bilingual education programs examines student characteristics and program elements at one site, among native Cantonese-speaking children. The analysis focused on these issues: (1) the bilingual instructional practices that best foster…

Several research and evaluation studies completed in bilingual education programs for language minority children in Canada are presented to support the claim that heritage, or first, language (HL) literacy plays an important role in the acquisition of a third language. A study completed by the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education…

A description of the role and status of the English language in the Yemen Arab Republic begins with a general statement concerning the distribution of English speakers and the use of English language materials. Subsequent sections outline: (1) the use and status of English within the educational system at all levels, including teacher education;…

A description of the role and status of the English language in Cameroon begins with an overview of the distribution of English speakers and the common uses of English. Subsequent sections outline (1) the use and status of English within the educational system at all levels, including teacher education; (2) the availability of English language…

A survey of the status of language usage in Iraq begins with an overview of the usage patterns of Arabic and Kurdish, especially in the context of recent political events and the agreement to make Kurdish a second official language in the Kurdish autonomous region, and to allow limited use of Kurdish in instruction and public communication. A…

Current attitudes within the foreign language profession at large are assessed, and some attempts to meet the common problems are described. The need for promoting and improving a public image in all areas outside the profession and informing the community about foreign language educational goals is an overriding problem. In addition to publicity…

From a consideration of variability in language-learner and language-user data, the concept of proficiency is considered in relation to models of second and foreign language learning. Proficiency is defined in relation to four separate dimensions: grammatical well-formedness, speech-act rules, functional elaboration, and code diversity. This…

This profile in outline form of the English language teaching situation in Sweden discusses the role of English within Swedish society and within the Swedish educational system. The status of English as the principal foreign language since 1945 for use in business, the media and tourism is pointed out. The system of English instruction in the…

Social studies instruction will improve if educators understand and integrate information gained from pragmatics into social studies curriculum and methods. Pragmatics is an area of linguistic study based on the philosophy of pragmatism which emphasizes social consequences of events and actions. Pragmatics deals particularly with the relationships…

The need for change in the way language is understood and treated in schools is discussed. It is important: (1) to see the need for knowledge of the language situations of the United States, (2) to support training and research to obtain such knowledge, and (3) to change the relationship between linguistics and education. The language situation of…

This paper examines the proposition that languages may differ in their potential for non-sexist usage, and that the structure of a language, in particular the gender system, affects the nature of the linguistic response to changing social attitudes regarding sex roles. A brief historical survey of gender and sex-marking is followed by a review of…

The 14 conference papers and discussion transcripts in this volume were arranged to suggest both an outline of the state of the art of foreign language testing and a practical guide for test writers and users. The first two papers (T.R. Hopkins, Language Testing of North American Indians; and E.J. Briere, Testing ESL Among Navajo Children) deal…