The political and pedagogical issues arising from language legislation, language policy, and language planning in a bilingual country such as Canada are analyzed. The socio-historical context of bilingualism in Canada is reviewed, and Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (appended), which imposes a constitutional requirement…

To help resolve the language of instruction dilemma in Hong Kong schools, this paper examines the hypothetical effect of government, business, and university language policy and practice on individuals' choice of intructional medium. While government policy has always allowed schools and students to choose either Chinese or English, most have…

This study compares the English and Swahili language texts used in the primary grades in Kenya and Tanzania in order to ascertain the role of language in determining the content of instruction and to relate the content of these texts to significant characteristics of governmental educational policy and the values underlying them. The introductory…

Ways in which an evaluation of bilingual programs could be appropriately conducted were studied, using two transitional bilingual education programs. In Program A, the first language (Spanish) is the initial medium for all instruction with a gradual phasing in of English. Program A is located in a large suburban school system in central…

Past and current education and language policy in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), which was formerly the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific, is discussed. Although under U.S. Navy administrative control since 1947, FSM is currently being divided into independent nations. The area has been influenced by colonization by Germany and Spain…

Rather than abandon bilingual education programs that have not met expectations, there is a need to assess implementation procedures in bilingual programs to determine whether or not they foster success or failure. Areas to be examined for insights and improvement include: (1) present policies concerning the goal of bilingual education and current…

The fifteen articles in this volume are generally concerned with the role of vernacular language in bilingual education on an international scale. They examine specific nations and how bilingualism affects their social milieu. The following articles are included: (1) "Bilingualism and the Vernacular," by Shana Poplack; (2) "The…

The history of American education is marked by attempts to grapple with the U.S. multilingual and multicultural situation. Bilingual education can be traced from the time of the first migration from Asia which formed the strain of the native American, through the migrations from Europe and Africa, to the influx of immigrants from all over the…

A resource handbook is presented that provides an overview of parent and community involvement to assist local and state education agencies, higher education institutions, and other nonprofit organizations in enhancing the partnership between school and home for the benefit of minority language group students. The guide covers the following…

A conceptual framework for research in bilingual education programs and a set of criteria for implementing such research are proposed. The approach to experimental research in bilingual education is based on two assumptions: (1) as soon as a model is implemented in two different sites, there will be variation in the model; and (2) any effective…

This document asserts that historical, legal, demographic, and other forces indicate that language issues will be a primary focus of future policy contention. Economic formations, demographic movements, class assignments, and political organizations are described as they shape the relationship between language, education, and community identity.…

This summary of the presentation given at four Head Start Regional Bilingual/Multicultural Conferences consists of materials related to the Head Start Strategy for Spanish-speaking Children. Keynote addresses focus on Head Start policy implications, the future of Head Start in the 1980s, and the relation of bilingual/bicultural programs to the…

This guide deals with five areas of interest to bilingual education in California: (1) state mandates that were enacted in response to the Lau v. Nichols Supreme Court decision of 1974; (2) instructional and support services requirements in language development, reading, mathematics, multicultural education, and staff development; (3) other…

A noticeable trend in higher education is the development of the bilingual university. This study considers a university bilingual if it satisfies one element in the following definition: (1) all courses are given in both languages; (2) a part of the program is in both languages; or (3) all students are required to take some courses in one…

This report examines the most prominent decisions resulting from the 1974 Supreme Court Lau v. Nichols ruling that public schools cannot ignore the problems faced by students whose native language is other than English. Special attention is focused on the remedies that have been ordered to cure "Lau" violations. The activities of the…