Background: Language discussions have historically focused on the power dynamics between dominant and indigenous languages. This has generated discontent and contention on which language should rule the educational sector. The national language policy of South Africa mandates the use of all languages in the educational system. Even though there…

In bilingual children, more so than in monolingual children, comprehension abilities exceed production abilities. While this receptive-expressive gap in bilinguals has been well documented, little is known about its development. The present study tracked growth in the Spanish and English receptive and expressive vocabularies of 52 bilingual…

Researchers have identified inequities in dual-language bilingual education (DLBE) student participation, and with large-scale DLBE expansion, equitable student access is an increasingly important issue. In this study, I used a multimethod, multisite, comparative analysis to critically examine educator discourses addressing student participation…

A survey of 724 families of dual language enrichment students in the South-west USA explored what kinds of families had chosen dual language education for their children and why. Of those parents who chose dual language for their children, 45.4% speak primarily English with their child, while 54.6% speak primarily Spanish. English-dominant parents…

Defines three previously overlooked subpopulations of English proficient students (English superior, equally limited, non-English superior) in terms of their relative proficiency in English and the home language. Presents data and clarifies assessment terms, criteria, and procedures used in relative proficiency assessment. Makes program…

This study surveyed 86 parents who enrolled their children in a Chinese-English bilingual preschool in San Francisco. The participants were asked their opinions on bilingual education, the reasons for sending their children to a Chinese-English bilingual school, their attitudes toward bilingual education, their use of Chinese and English, and…

Hypothesizes that the relationship between L1 and L2 writing is not one of interference, but rather application of L1 to L2 writing. Includes writing samples of first-, second-, and third-grade students enrolled in a bilingual program. (EKN)

Describes the ESL Program at the Vienna International School (VIS). States that students who come to international schools with poor English skills are those who struggle the most. Advocates separating ESL programs, diversity awareness training for instructors, and mother tongue programs. (NB)

Two major evaluations of bilingual education differed significantly in evaluation design and results. The American Institute for Research (AIR) conducted the national impact study for bilingual education and gathered data from many programs. AIR based its study on comparisons of mathematics and language arts achievement of students in bilingual…

Compares five commonly used English-Spanish language dominance instruments according to area of language measured, domain assessed, developmental comparability, and language variety or dialect. Examines the proficiency information provided and the validity, reliability, and norming of the instruments. Concludes that the tests are not comparable…

A memorandum is presented that summarizes the conclusions of a group of officials on bilingual education policy and the role of bilingual education in the overall language competence of Americans. A letter to Secretary of Education Terrel Bell outlines suggestions for specific actions. (MSE)

The research design and analytic approaches used in the national evaluation of the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title VII Spanish/English Bilingual Education Program are described. This study evaluated the entire program, as opposed to individual projects, and had four goals: to (1) determine the cognitive and affective impact of…

The Spanish/English Language Performance Screening (S/ELPS) was designed to assist the preschool and early elementary classroom teacher in objectively determining each child's dominant oral language for initial instruction. This report summarizes the development and testing performed in order to revise and validate the measure. After an intensive…

The relationship between the relative language proficiencies of bilingual children and their scores on tests administered in one or both languages was studied in students referred to special education because of suspected learning disabilities. Bilingual Hispanic students (25 males and 15 females) in grades 2 through 4 from an urban school…

This phase of the downstate Illinois bilingual education program included: locating all past data still in existence in 1976; determining what data were actually retrievable and usable; reporting on these data retrospectively; and finally, collecting new data for a continuing longitudinal study. There were 44 school districts with 4,579 students…