One of the overriding problems of any psychometric study is that aspects of behavior that are nonquantifiable or difficult to quantify are not considered. The other side of this coin is that those aspects of behavior that are easiest to quantify tend to be what are examined. In evaluating bilingual education programs, problems are found in the…

This study looks at the effect of native speaker (NS) teacher input on limited-English-proficient (LEP) students' access to classroom speech events. It seeks to determine whether content area teachers modify their talk when interacting with LEP students in the classroom. The study also seeks to describe such modifications and establish whether…

Despite the ethnic and linguistic diversity found in California's public schools, or because of it, in 1998 voters approved Proposition 227, a ballot initiative designed to dismantle bilingual education programs in the state. By the 2003-2004 school year, the California Department of Education reports that statewide 8,908 teachers were providing…

A study was conducted to determine the effect of different techniques used in teaching English as a second language to children in bilingual elementary schools. (CFM)

In this article, the authors describe the results of research that explored how Proposition 227--a measure that mandates English immersion instruction for all English language learners--has affected bilingual teachers at varying points in their professional development. The perspectives of preservice, novice and veteran bilingual teachers offer…

One in a series on cultural pluralism and multicultural education, this collection of 10 brief articles focuses on bilingual education with much of the material specific to Spanish-English programs. Dennis Wilson discusses Indian self determination and the task of preserving Indian culture while solving contemporary Indian problems. Lorenzo…

The place of the English language in contemporary Africa is changing. English has spread rapidly, but, at the same time, the indigenous languages have remained and have grown in strength because of an increase in population and an awakening of national consciousness. A developing country must have a national language, whether English or native, to…

The 5 most pressing educational needs of children of Mexican American migratory workers in Oklahoma are seen to be in (1) inadequate command of the English language, (2) nutritional deficiencies, (3) social adjustment problems, (4) proper physical hygiene, and (5) curricular planning and bilingual personnel. In an effort to meet these needs, the…

The recruitment and training of competent teachers for Spanish-speaking children is but one phase of the overall staffing problem facing schools nationally. Generally, the teacher shortage could be reduced by increasing wages, improving facilities and equipment, reducing the teacher's work load through employment of teaching assistants and…

This selective abstract bibliography prepared by ERIC Clearinghouse on Early Childhood Education is a guide to recent ERIC documents on bilingual education of children. Citations have been divided into four sections: (1) selected ethnic groups (Spanish speaking, native Americans, Chinese, Portuguese and Filipino); (2) migrants; (3) second language…

America's lag behind many countries in foreign language training, particularly the Soviet Union, is examined from the viewpoint of her ever-increasing need for foreign language proficiency in many areas. Differences between domestic and foreign curriculums are considered and a proposal is made, based on the specific assumption that what is needed…

Education for minority group children has been completely inadequate through the failure of educators to understand sympathetically the children's linguistic and cultural backgrounds and through the erroneous emphasis upon replacing "poor speech habits" rather than adding a second dialect (standard English). To help reduce the gap between ideals…

This report attempts to place in perspective the position of bilingual education in New York City. It is divided into the following sections: (1) Bilingual Education--A Historical Perspective, (2) The Puerto Rican Child in the New York City School System, (3) Bilingual Education in the New York City School System, (4) Funding for Bilingual…

This study contributes to the elaboration of a sociocultural perspective on literacy by considering the role of gender in shaping students' participation in literacy activities in school. The project aims to illuminate the way in which gender expresses itself in and helps to shape the nature of children's literacy acquisition across different…

The Culver City (Calif.) Schools' Spanish Immersion Program (SIP) offers an innovative and highly successful approach to the development of proficiency in a foreign language in the elementary grades. This approach differs from most bilingual programs in that for the first two years the students are completely immersed in Spanish. When the students…