Materials for a workshop on vocational education for limited-English-proficient (LEP) students are gathered. An annotated outline presents the content and sequence of the workshop, which reviews the problems and suggests solutions to working with students who have a restricted understanding of the language of instruction. Issues addressed include…

This study documented English acquisition by a group of Hmong adult immigrants over a period of one year, and explored the factors that appeared to be affecting their progress. Based on three measures (a test of listening comprehension, communication, fluency, reading, and writing; a pictured English vocabulary recognition test; and a written…

In this remarkable collection of educational journeys toward learning and liberation, students, scholars, and activists bring to life the ideas and histories of groups that have been silenced in mainstream educational arenas. The rich variety of learners in learning as a political act--including Chicana women, Puerto Rican schoolchildren, Eritrean…

Observed speech and interactive behavior of American Hmong students who were attending a northern California high school indicate that Hmong student responses to teacher-generated questions were often influenced by culturally-based predispositions. Because of these differences, Hmong students often provided answers considered "wrong,"…

Examines strategies used by Hmong adults learning to read and write in their first language. Data collected through classroom observation and translation from Hmong research assistants identified cooperative learning behavior, learning through example, concern with explicit direction and reluctance to perform in front of others as predominant…

Examines the relationship between acculturation and perceived intergenerational differences for 29 high school students from Hmong refugee families in the United States. High acculturation is associated with higher perceived intergenerational differences. This association depends on the number of years in U.S. schools. Specific acculturated…

Examines methodological problems that metaphorical nonequivalence poses for cross-cultural survey research. Data from 1,105 urban ninth graders (including 105 Laotian Hmong) in St. Paul (Minnesota) illustrate problems of the translation of psychological instruments and the difficulties of administering a single instrument to culturally different…

A program on Hmong culture, language, and history was implemented in a diverse, urban, public elementary school. Observations of two Hmong students while in the Hmong program and in their regular classroom were compared. Being in a classroom with children of the same language and background, as well as having a Hmong teacher, promoted higher…

Argues that textile arts, often created by women, provide a valuable, but frequently overlooked, resource for learning about a culture. Describes an effort to learn about Hmong culture and history through a study of textile arts and to teach preservice teachers in a social studies methods course about this culture. (DSK)

The Limited English Proficient (LEP) Parent Involvement Project, a collaborative project between two state agencies, aims to help refugee and immigrant parents to be effective in their new American culture. Materials are provided that were developed for use in various adult education settings such as English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes,…

Comparing Hmong families with other ethnic or cultural groups (whites, African-Americans, Hispanics, and other Asians), this study examined family-related supports and risks in a low-income, ethnically diverse sample of 242 children entering kindergarten in St. Paul, Minnesota. All kindergarten children from 23 kindergartens in 6 elementary…

To meet the needs of students who are Asian and Hispanic refugees, as well as the needs of a democratic society, teachers must be able to teach effectively an understanding and appreciation of the U.S. legal and judicial system while acknowledging, responding to, and integrating the cultural backgrounds and experiences of a diverse student…

A study of Hmong adult immigrants in a Hmong literacy class investigated four aspects of their learning behaviors: specific behaviors manifested in the literacy classroom; overt learning strategies used for literacy learning; major motivations; and specific uses for Hmong literacy skills. Data were gathered through observation, interviews,…

Conflicts between traditional Hmong values and traditional American parenting values are explored, drawing on the experiences of a coordinator of an Even Start program serving Hmong parents. Even Start is a state-funded early childhood intervention program with a literacy component for parents with less than an eighth grade proficiency in reading…

This paper describes the development and application of an instrument to measure the relationships between acculturation, ethnicity, second language learning, self-esteem, and academic success among the Hmong student population in United States postsecondary schools. The instrument assessed seven dimensions of acculturation (behavioral, social,…