Recent research focusing on Human Resource Development (HRD) in East Asia is attracting increasing attention. The purpose of the study is to explore the definition and practice of HRD, together with influencing cultural factors, in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Japan. The results indicate a difference in the definition and implementation of HRD…

Excerpted from The People's Republic of China,'' No. 4 in the Issues in United States Foreign Policy series, the material discusses (1) Profile, (2) Customs, Etiquette, and Rhetoric, (3) Women in the P.R.C., (4) Cuisine, (5) Medicine and Health, (6) Education, (7) Language, and (8) Communes and Agriculture. (JB)

Identifies current problems of education and proposes means for improving Tai nationality schools. Discusses the language problem, the quality of teachers, budgeting concerns, and effects caused by cultural uniqueness. Offers specific ways to overcome these problems and improve the educational level of Tai nationality students. (KO)

For most Chinese people in the early 1980s, homosexuality was thought of as something immoral. Many people use "Tong Xing Lian," a Chinese term similar to "homo" labeling gay men to indicate their disapproval. "A kid like him, he could be a homo? Give me a break." That would be the routine way of thinking about…

Two studies track connections from the distal variables of socioeconomic status (SES) and culture to properties of the interactions children experience and to the rate of children's language development. The first study is an investigation of the relations among family SES, properties of maternal child-directed speech, and child vocabulary growth…

Everyone has a name. Names are more than a symbol or label. The culture of a people finds expression in the language they employ. When personal names are studied historically, philosophically, etymologically, and psychologically the reflection of the social and natural environment can be perceived. This paper focuses on the analysis of the…

Analyzes special education legislation in the United States, China, and Taiwan. Commonalties and differences in laws are discussed from the perspective of the social and economic circumstances under which they evolved and were implemented. Also explores the relationship between a country's development and special education progress. (CR)

Demonstrates that literacy practices may be more usefully viewed when situated in the larger contexts within which they exist. Examines the impact of social, cultural, and linguistic factors on oral reading in China's elementary schools. (SR)

Used prototype methods of cognitive science to collect free associations of learning-related words and phrases from Chinese and American college seniors. Found that both cultures had a large set of conceptions about learning but that there was little overlap between the models of learning. Most striking was the near absence of references to hard…

Asserts that cross-cultural experiences highlight some ways attitudes about early childhood, parenting, and teaching are influenced by cultural expectations. Uses examples from China--of residential programs for young children, the nature of classroom interactions, and arts teaching--to comment on broader issues of cultural pluralism and help…

This article reviews the history and development of special education in China. The historical review covers antiquity to the 1800s, 1800s to 1900s, 1949 to 1965, and 1966 to 1976. Current special education in China is discussed in terms of laws and regulations and major achievements. Major problems and future prospects are also noted. (Author/DB)

Demonstrates that the Judeans traveled along the Ancient Silk Route. Discusses the Iranian influence on the formation of Jewish religious ideas. Considers the development of Jewish trade networks, focusing on the Radanites (Jewish traders), the Jewish presence in the Far East, and the survival of Judaism in central Asia. (CMK)

This paper reviews the development of special education in China and identifies the following critical social and cultural variables: economic conditions, the Confucian tradition, Western cultural influences, and prevailing socialist ideology. These factors are credited with changes from no special education to special education starting at birth,…

How much is hegemony and how much is self-determination in the higher education systems in Southeast Asia? This paper argues that while the question of centre and periphery is still relevant to the analysis of international university systems, the analytical frameworks from which it has arisen may lose viability in the long term. Southeast Asian…

Edited by three authorities in the field, this "Handbook" presents contributions from experts across the world who report the cutting-edge of international research. It is ground-breaking in its holistic, evidence-informed account that aims to synthesize key messages for policy and practice in English, language and literacy teaching. A…