During early settlement of the New World, schools were conducted in the community's native language. Concern over an official language for the United States can be traced to Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. While British immigrants were in the minority, their influence predominated. English-only laws appeared but were largely ignored. In 1900,…

Proceedings of a Navajo Bilingual Education Conference held April 26 and 27, 1985, are summarized in this report which focuses on the implementation of Navajo language and cultural education at the Dzlith Na O Dith Hle Community School (DCS). The paper begins by stating that the conference was intended to assist educators in understanding and…

The report outlines the national need for bilingual education by providing estimates of the target group (distribution and characteristics of the language-minority, limited-English-speaking population), describes the need for bilingual education among native American and Alaskan native students and in Puerto Rico, and examines the need for…

A study of English-as-a-second-language (ESL) and bilingual education policies in Oregon's local school districts analyzed their contribution to equal educational opportunity and quality education for language minority students. A survey of all public school districts in the state elicited information about eight policy areas: identification and…

An evaluation of the Honolulu (Hawaii) School District's program of supplementary instruction to limited English proficient students is presented. The program was designed to aid in the adjustment to the American culture and school life in Hawaii. The evaluation addressed whether the program is meeting its objectives, whether English second…

In 1986-87, the New York City Staff Development Program for Bilingual/English as a Second Language (ESL) Kindergarten through Ninth-Grade Teachers and Supervisors provided in-service training in bilingual education theory, policy, and practice to about 500 teachers and administrators serving limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in the city's…

This document provides an account of the status of Hispanics in inner-city public high schools, and recommendations for improving that status. The report has two main parts. The first gives background data which reveal, among other things, that although the majority of Hispanic students enter high school with aspirations as high as any social…

This book incorporates a general discussion of bilingualism and its relation to sociolinguistic facts with a description of the Redwood City, California, bilingual education project, begun in 1969. Chapter 1 describes the phenomenon of bilingualism, while Chapter 2 deals with the concept of bilingual education. The relationship between…

This study examines the hypothesis that the French used by a large number of Franco-Ontarians represents a linguistic system (or several systems) that differs from Standard French. In addition, a review of previous research leads to the inverse hypothesis, that Ontarian French represents a body of different systems or sub-systems that are more or…

This publication provides information on programs of study in Canada under the following headings: (1) the language of the minority group (French in nine of the provinces, English in Quebec) as a subject of study, showing grade enrollments and participation rates; (2) the language of the minority qroup as a first language (designed for French…

The proceedings focus on delivery of educational services to American Indians today; educational policies and legislation are priority topics. The keynote address by the education advisor, White House Domestic Council, centers on the federal role in Indian education, dealing specifically with three major administration educational…

The present state of language programs in Australia, the lack of a coherent language policy, important considerations for developing a national language policy, and long-term outcomes of a language policy are considered. Australia needs to consider the role of languages in society and the society's need for language skills. Among the present…

The report consists of four case studies which show the extent and importance of the problem of education of migrant workers and their families as seen by Finland, France, Sweden, and Yugoslavia. Dealing mainly with the education of second generation Finnish workers in Sweden, the first study addresses the teaching of the mother tongue and the…

This paper presents an overview of the impact of the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title VII Spanish/English bilingual program. Student, teacher, and project data were collected in 38 projects in their fourth or fifth year of funding, along with data from non-Title VII comparison schools. The research design of this national study is…

Considerations in teaching students from linguistically diverse backgrounds are outlined. The instructional program must consider: (1) the social, economic, and political circumstances of the students' families; (2) their reasons for being in the United States and the length of their residence; (3) their attitudes toward the English-speaking group…