This study assessed a range of pre-service teachers' beliefs about second language learning and teaching language to minority students. A group of 91 beginning pre-service teachers completed a survey that asked them to rate their agreement with 16 statements about non-English speakers and second language learners. The statements reflected key…

Six essays on the links between official languages and the economy in Canada include: "An Economic Analysis of Language" (Albert Breton); "The Economics of Language in a Virtually Integrated Global Economy" (Richard G. Harris); "Speak and Ye Shall Receive: Language Knowledge as Human Capital" (Krishna Pendakur, Ravi…

This book focuses on the practice and ideology of the languages of Israel, examining the extent to which the present linguistic pattern may be attributed to explicit language-planning activities. The chapters give balanced analyses of the history and current status of the revitalized national language, Hebrew; of the other official language,…

There are growing numbers of students enrolling in university-level English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) courses who are not international students but are products of American K-12 bilingual education programs. These immigrant or refugee ESL learners are not required to demonstrate a specified level of English language competence by scoring 500 or…

This issue includes the following articles: "Vowel Epenthesis in Vimeu Picard: A Preliminary Investigation" (Julie Auger, Jeffrey Steele); "Lexical Borrowings from French in Written Quebec English: Perspectives on Motivation" (Pamela Grant-Russell and Celine Beaudet); "Variable Article Use in Korean Learners of…

Personal narratives of California teachers in linguistically diverse classrooms portray four models of bilingual education: ESL, sheltered English, and peer tutors; ESL, sheltered English, and some or adequate first-language support; and bilingual education including native-language instruction. Reflects on negative teacher attitudes, hidden…

Considers issues concerning the education of minorities, in Europe and elsewhere, by examining the vexed question of the nature of identity. Offers the concept of identity "markers," now most commonly nationality and citizenship, but changeable in times of crisis. Discusses culture switching, intermediate or multiple cultural identities,…

Describes why the Oakland School Board proposed to apply African Language Systems principles to move students closer to English proficiencies. The board's objective--to raise the language skills of African-American students--was interpreted as a proposal to teach substandard English and was used to validate racist dialog. The public furor ignored…

This article provides background and a description of person-centered planning (PCP) based on process, components, and outcomes and examines each in relationship to working with culturally and linguistically diverse families. Vignettes illustrate how professionals can be sensitive to differences in culture and language within the process.…

Summarizes characteristics of Hispanic students at the Texas School for the Deaf. It discusses trilingual (American Sign Language, English, Spanish) situations and problems related to multilingual home and school environments. A model is proposed for language instruction and support-services programs. (DB)

The Language Academy initiative enabled the San Francisco Unified School District to transform remedial, compliance-based programs for English language learners into standards-based language-learning programs for all students. Administrators relied on stakeholder involvement, coherent policy, and quality program design to achieve their goal of…

Interviews with 10 linguistically diverse elementary students revealed that they felt lonely because they could not communicate with their peers. Loss of self-esteem and development of learned helplessness syndrome were directly related to length of time they experienced loneliness. Teacher's nonverbal communication and social interactions that do…

Evaluated an inquiry-based approach to preservice learning. While in urban field placements, predominantly white student teachers completed an open-ended teacher research project regarding the education of ethnolinguistically diverse students. Though many participants came away with more critical, powerful perspectives and insights into first and…

Describes how a large urban university and K-6 classroom teachers collaborated to design an undergraduate teacher education program in elementary and special education, creatively combining subject matter curriculum with educational issues and pedagogy to better prepare teachers to succeed in diverse urban schools. The result was the team-taught…

Success and failure in school is contingent upon one's ability to regulate and situate identities, utilise culturally-developed semiotic tools and negotiate models of meaning in shared social activity. However, many language minority students lack such success, struggling with conflicts between their primary-and community-based identities, and…