Banned from the classroom by followers of the "direct method," translation has been overlooked as a desirable skill in its own right, and also as a valuable medium of the teaching process. With this skill, the students learn to understand and utilize a dictionary, practice pronunciation, build up vocabulary, perfect writing ability, and…

A 16-year-old Taiwanese student at the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York, describes how the Chinese celebrate their New Year. (RM)

A typology developed by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development is utilized to analyze magnitude and long-term trends of industrialized countries. Statistical problems involved in cross-country comparisons of military R&D are discussed. Practically all world military R&D is carried out in developed countries. (SR)

Recommends that students in social studies classes be exposed to a study of Japan because of the wide array of contrasts possible between Japan and the United States. Information is presented on Japan's modernization, global status, language, decision-making processes, and ancient traditions. (DB)

The author's background in developmental/international education, as well as her professional experience in Alaska--involving policy, evaluation, and research--have suggested that evaluators must be aware of the cultural context of the situation. She also contends that our evaluation methods should be tested and studied in foreign cultures. (GDC)

Considers reasons for trusting mathematics and why learning mathematics is important. Discusses cross-cultural consistency in mathematical knowledge. (KHR)

Includes two commentaries on the special section. Allen notes concerns about back translation of measurement instruments and highlights the need for more research on normative commitment. Vandenberghe addresses issues of factor structure, means comparison, and moderating effects. (Contains 10 references.) (SK)

A model is presented for analyzing the influence of culture on the coping behavior of families with disabled children, using examples from families in Norway and Botswana. The model considers culture's impact on the process of coping through emotional patterning, expectations of life and future, life experiences, and actual opportunities. (JDD)

Notes that college English educators must beware of authoritarianism, dogmatism, and opportunistic careerism--a caution which has frequently gone unheeded by advocates of mandatory diversity. Argues that, despite the flaws of certain reformers, it should be clear that cross-cultural literary study is intellectually, aesthetically, and ethically…

Some epistemological and methodological concerns about cross-cultural qualitative research include reliance on partial knowledge, middle-class cultural and political bias, the fluidity of identity, and power relations between researchers and subjects. Critical reflection, revision of traditional methods, and design of new methods can address these…

Presents an American perspective on pastoral counseling as spiritually integrated counseling and psychotherapy, requiring graduate academic and clinical work in these disciplines as well as graduate education in religious studies. It offers an American perspective on this specialized ministry of mental and relational health and discusses its…

There are sharp differences in the economic, educational and political conditions among the NAFTA countries. This paper focuses on the difference in cultural and value orientations in Mexico, Canada and the United States. Education is increasingly market driven, which poses a challenge in balancing the integration of education with international…

This paper describes an open symposium designed to help participants: (1) better understand the nature of play and the nature of the child in the education process; (2) be more effective in their efforts to facilitate children's growth, development, and learning; and (3) continue to make a difference in children's lives. The notion of play as a…

This brief paper considers the historical development of comparative education and consequent problems. It is argues that the origin of comparative education was found in the possibility of being both national and supranational in one's orientation to the study of education. This has led to confusion in what is being studied and the concepts used…

The current crisis in the field of comparative education is one of methodology: the quasi-scientific approach, which is widely used and expensively funded, necessarily jettisons a whole range of variables which are not measurable and which may well have more explanatory power. The quantitative studies have not been shown to yield anything which is…