Traces the historical development of state and federal law, policy, and practice concerning language. Suggests that, in the future, languages other than English may play prominent roles in American culture and government. (MJL)

Analysis of research articles and editorials from national newspapers and news magazines published during 1984-94 revealed that although research reported favorably on bilingual education, most newspaper articles took positions against bilingual education. Opinion writers did not base their positions on research, but rather on government reports,…

Discusses the problems of intercultural education in the European Community. Specifies that, for education not to discriminate, both majority and minorities must experience common learning processes and have opportunities to acquire relatively unbiased information about each other. Examines educational policy, school structure, and language…

Examines the influence of various sociopolitical factors on government policies in two federal programs, those for the gifted and talented and those for bilingual education. Traces the evolution of these programs and compares their backgrounds to determine the influences shaping federal funding and program implementation. (GLR)

Events leading to the passage in 1984 of Arizona's bilingual education law are examined using interviews with policy elite and concepts developed by D. E. Mitchell and others (1985) for studying distinctive cultures of state educational policymaking. Passage of a mandatory or more comprehensive law was not likely. (SLD)

Explores feelings of bilingual children toward developing two languages, two literacies, and belonging to two communities within an English educational system that is insensitive to bilingual learners. Shows that bilingual children express their feelings differently in both languages, and indicates the educational implications of these results for…

Describes four types of immigrants to The Netherlands since World War II and three phases of educational policies aimed at compensating for their educational disadvantages. Discusses the disappointing outcomes of compensatory education, bilingual education, intercultural education, and preschool and early school programs, and describes the…

Discusses bilingual education policy and reform in the context of indigenous languages of Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia, exploring the ideological paradox inherent in transforming a standardizing education into a diversifying one and in constructing a multilingual, multicultural national identity. Data come from policy documents and practitioner…

From the perspective of two practitioners who have been influenced by work in the area of critical pedagogy and critical theory, this article examines bilingual education, education reform, and the achievement gap in relation to Latino English Language Learners. The authors integrate personal experiences as they examine underlying assumptions of…

The English language has enjoyed a privileged status in Philippine formal education since US President McKinley declared it the medium of instruction of the Philippine public educational system in 1900. But the pre-eminence of English has been vigorously called to question since then. This paper traces the changing status of English in Philippine…

This paper deals with the author's recent work on political, sociolinguistic and educational aspects of bilingual and immersion education in Australia. Among the cases considered are: the development of a professional position statement on bilingual and immersion education, to be disseminated to policy makers; advising on an Auslan (Australian…

South Africa is a multilingual country with 11 official languages. However, English dominates as the language of access and power and although the Language-in-Education Policy (1997) recommends school language policies that will promote additive bilingualism and the use of learners' home languages as languages of learning and teaching, there has…

The first two volumes of the Research in English Acquisition and Development (READ) Institute journal, which cover 1993-1995, contain reports of research and programs in English-as-a-Second-Language instruction, bilingual education, and services to limited-English-proficient individuals. Articles include: "Second Language Teaching: A Theoretical…

The United States continues to neglect and fails to utilize its many cultures and languages. These languages and cultures are valuable resources that can be used to prepare students for the international competitive economy. School boards must decide what role bilingual and multicultural education will play. Critics charge that bilingual and…

Since taking power, the Sandinista government has made a commitment to educating all Nicaraguans. Under its direction, literacy increased from approximately 50 to 88 percent. Thousands of new teachers were hired, and the number of elementary schools doubled. The official language is Spanish, and the dominant culture, Mestizo (mixed Spanish and…