Part of Canada's Exemplary Schools Project, l'Ecole secondaire de Pain Court is a minority francophone secondary school in southwest Ontario with a linguistically and culturally diverse student population. Case study describes the development of solid school-community partnerships that have eased intergroup tensions and contributed to the social…

A study analyzed the narratives of 24 predominately English-speaking Latino children (ages 3-5) enrolled in a federally subsidized preschool. The length of narrative did not differ significantly by age. However, older children produced stories that contained longer sentences, a higher proportion of grammatically acceptable sentences, and more…

A study examined parental support for bilingual education in the face of political debate. Surveys of 1,043 parents of children attending 10 dual-language programs in Colorado found that parents understood the purpose of these programs, freely chose the programs, and believed they were effective. Spanish-speaking parents responded more positively…

Describes a University of Ottawa program involving a French-language stream to train future physicians for the francophone minority population of Ontario. Francophone students conduct interviews in French in a communication skills laboratory while being observed by clinicians trained in observation and feedback techniques. Simulated patients play…

Asserts that social services remain largely unresponsive to the values and needs of Latino families. Discusses access to linguistically appropriate services, not just as a culturally competent practice, but also as a civil rights issue. Presents implications for all aspects of private and public child welfare, including investigations, foster…

A response to an article on multiculturalism and the status of community languages in Australia argues that efforts to maintain any minority language within immigrant communities should be tempered by critical assessment of what is to be achieved, for whom, and why. The original article's author responds. (MSE)

Argues that in Ontario's French-medium schools, reading is often a challenge, particularly for those in readiness classes who speak little or no French. A model for early intervention in reading is recommended, combining reading and writing to address the linguistic challenges of students in a minority-language community. (Author/MSE)

Explores institutional and attitudinal difficulties faced by minority language policies and discusses the potential for resolving these problems. Focuses on recent institutional developments in Welsh language policy in Wales and examines the attitudes toward such developments of a cohort of Welsh teacher trainees. (Author/VWL)

Examines issues of linguistic diversity in the inclusive classroom, focusing on South Africa, including the history of linguistic diversity in that educational context, language as a transmitter of culture, and the relationship between culture and learning style. Suggestions are made for validating and affirming every learner's language and…

This article presents recommendations to increase family involvement among culturally/linguistically diverse families of children with disabilities. Recommendations include using different communication approaches, providing alternative meeting sites, providing information and training to parents, and understanding family priorities, needs, and…

This article discusses the growing population of students from diverse language backgrounds and the challenges the nation faces in attaining educational equity through the preparation of professionals to meet the educational needs of English-language learners with communication disorders. Skills and competencies needed by educators and…

A survey of 308 African-American, Hispanic-American, Native-American, and European-American parents found that culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) parents are active in transition planning activities and, in some instances, their level of reported participation surpassed that of European-American parents. In contrast, 52 professionals…

Examines key social factors that shape newcomer schools, describing a variety of schools to illustrate both desirable and undesirable program design features. Contrasting views are explored regarding the likely effects on school achievement of isolating newcomers from other students. The paper presents guidelines for developing or reviewing…

Discusses why, where, and when two-way immersion programs were created; how they are being implemented (student population, program features, teachers, and instructional features); and what effects they are having, noting some of the issues that are emerging as this model gains popularity (e.g., minority languages other than Spanish, preserving…

This article presents an approach to a variety of syndromes and patterns of language disorders in bilingual speakers and polyglots. This framework demands that in neuropsychological analysis, all the variables and dynamics of bilingual development have to be taken into consideration, along with details of the neurological syndrome. (Contains…