Bilingual education programs and policies in three countries with sizable minorities, Sweden, Australia, and the Federal Republic of Germany, are examined in order to gauge both the extent to which children with limited proficiency in the dominant language are in integrated classrooms and the degree of their social integration. First, the…

Three bilingual kindergarten classrooms were studied in depth in their school settings to see what conflicts arise between the expectations of the mainstream administrative structure of the school and the expectations of the bilingual curriculum of the district and how such conflicts are handled. Particular attention was given to potential…

Highlighting challenges facing leaders of Hispanic communities and colleges with predominantly Hispanic enrollments, this paper identifies some of the federal sources of assistance that should be explored to meet those challenges. First, information on Hispanic participation in the U.S. educational system is presented, focusing on low retention…

The focus of this paper will be to argue for an effective and concise evaluation of special education programs serving bilingual or limited English proficient (LEP) students. Although Public Law 94-142 specifies that all children be provided with free appropriate education according to their individual needs, ensuring compliance with these…

The paper describes a program developed for the children of migrant farmworkers, which uses bilingual adults from these same migrant families as the primary teaching staff. The curriculum used in the teaching of academic areas and oral language in Spanish and English is described, as well as specific adaptations that would be useful in teaching…

The paper examines practices and procedures that are seen as contributory to disproportionate placement of Black and Hispanic students in special education programs and discusses various components of the Boston Public School's Remedial Plan. Practices and procedures critical in disproportionate placement are seen to include biased assessment,…

One of a series of papers on critical issues in vocational-technical education, this paper discusses the need for a bilingual-vocational education program in America emphasizing that oral and written language is not the only or even most important variable in developing a bilingual-vocational education program and that an understanding of the…

Bilingualism is common in Lebanon's educational system. The national curriculum requires students to learn a second language beginning in kindergarten and to study science and mathematics in that second language in later years. The national curriculum requires that another foreign language be taught by seventh grade. Although Arabic is the…

The purpose of this study was to examine the short-term effects of a two-way bilingual education program on the literacy development of students in kindergarten and first grade. Two groups of children were compared in terms of their academic achievement in English language arts. The groups included students with limited English proficiency (LEP)…

Multiethnic living is practiced by a growing number of Americans. Some of the issues that research has looked at in this context include identity confusion, child-rearing complications, developing friendships within and across ethnic lines, emotional disturbance, dealing with ethnic heritage, school performance, and need for school services. In…

Bilingual education is a method, not a program, used by the teacher so that the student is receiving instruction in both English and the native language. All instruction is given with an appreciation for the cultural heritage of all children in American society. The purpose of bilingual education is to improve the child's English language skills…

Chronicles the effort to preserve bilingual education in California following the passage, in November 1986, of Proposition 63 that made English the state's official language. On the day after the election in which this initiative was supported, its sponsors made public their intent to abolish California's bilingual education program. Compromise…

Current research is reviewed for implications for language proficiency assessment practices. Research is discussed concerning adult language proficiency testing, cognitive studies which attempt to conceptualize the construct of language proficiency, development of theoretical models of communicative competence, studies investigating the validity…

The paper provides classroom teachers with practical suggestions for teaching English to the bilingual child (defined for purposes of this document as children whose native language is not English and who have only limited abilities in utilizing English). Teaching strategies are discussed under three major subheadings: (1) cognitive domain, (2)…

The development and teaching of a Spanish-English preschool career unit (the Fruit and Vegetable Industry unit), developed to help migrant children enhance their self-images by recognizing the importance of their families' contribution to food production, is described in this paper. A brief description of the development of this unit is provided…