This report consists of an evaluation of four experimental French programs (1973-74) and the federally-funded extensions of these programs (1974-75) in the schools of the Carleton, Ontario, Roman Catholic Separate School Board. Part 1 provides a review of literature relevant to immersion, intensive and enriched language programs, and the…

Thirty-two children who experienced difficulty in primary French immersion were compared to seven other groups of children matched for age and sex on a wide variety of language, perceptual, academic achievement, memory, motor, sensory and other tests to determine if there was anything unique in the profile of this group. The comparison groups…

This account of the development of bilingual schooling in Miami's bicultural community is addressed to others wishing to apply, modify or improve any one of the many types of bilingual schooling. The Dade County bilingual education experience is discussed under the following headings: (1) "Language Education in the American Context," (2)…

Describes the Amigos Program at Maynard School, Cambridge, MA, a two-way bilingual education program. Success of the program and efforts at equal education result from teamwork between desegregation and bilingual education officers and the following elements: (1) site; (2) funding; (3) evaluation; (4) racial balance; and (5) parent support. (PS)

A structured immersion program, coupled with an effective curriculum and empirically validated teaching procedure, was offered to elementary Asian students entering a California school. This approach appeared to have significantly better results, and its effects were maintained for up to two years after completion. (LMO)

Voters in California will vote June 2, 1998 to decide the fate of Proposition 227, a measure proposed by businessman Ron Unz that would substantially change the way that students who are not proficient in English are taught. If approved by the voters, Proposition 227, the Unz Initiative, would essentially eliminate bilingual education programs in…

California's Proposition 227 requires that all children be taught English by being taught in English. This proposition, which basically outlaws bilingual education, is the newest chapter in the history of how non-English speaking and limited English proficient (LEP) students should be educated. After presenting the historical, social, political,…

Two adaptations of Success for All, a comprehensive instructional reform program for elementary schools, have been used with students acquiring English as a second language. One is a Spanish bilingual version called "Exito para Todos," in which students are taught to read in Spanish and then transitioned to English reading, usually in…

Reviews the history of change in attitudes toward the use of languages other than English in the United States. Examines legal and policy responses to meet educational needs of children with limited or no English proficiency and discusses arguments for and against bilingual education. (Author/MJL)

Preschool teachers from Texas school districts with high and low Hispanic populations completed surveys examining their knowledge and beliefs about early childhood bilingualism and developmentally appropriate practice. Positive beliefs about the use of native language to develop emergent cognitive-academic language proficiency through active…

A year-long study followed two bilingual (English/Spanish) middle school teachers as training helped them to develop a new way of interacting with students during content teaching. To enhance student comprehension, the teachers moved away from concurrent translation and made efforts to distribute language usage so that they spent equal amounts of…

Examines three English oral language proficiency tests in terms of whether the tests measure basic interpersonal communication skills or cognitive-academic language proficiency. Suggests that oral language proficiency tests should be academic in nature if their purpose is to determine whether language-minority students can meet the demands of…

Examines how U.S. public schools have responded to increasing numbers of limited English proficient students, given the limited supply of bilingual teachers and, in this context, examines language segregation in desegregated schools. Educational policymakers have a difficult time reconciling desegregation goals' requirements for comprehensible…

Examines ways to adjust instruction to develop language while teaching specific academic content to students from different cultural and language backgrounds, focusing on students in Hawaii. Information is presented on adjusting instruction so that students will understand better, with emphasis on providing sufficient cues and information,…

Describes the passing of the Montana Class 7 American Indian Language and Cultural Specialist Certification, which enables all seven Montana tribes to certify the people most qualified to teach their language, and allows the tribes to develop curriculum and strategies that promote their languages and assure their feasibility. (VWC)