This article reports on a qualitative multiple case study that explored the academic discourse socialization experiences of L2 learners in a Canadian university. Grounded in the notion of "community of practice" (Lave & Wenger, 1991, p. 89), the study examined how L2 learners negotiated their participation and membership in their new…

This research anthology is the fourth volume in a series sponsored by the Special Interest Group Research on the Education of Asian and Pacific Americans (SIG-REAPA) of the American Educational Research Association and National Association for Asian and Pacific American Education. This series explores and explains the lived experiences of Asian…

Drawing on a 1993 study of four students in a late French immersion program in Australia and findings from a 1991 study, the report looks at three areas: students' response to the learning context, including its more and less helpful characteristics; the experiences students consider most important for learning the language, including those…

This pilot study examined the psychological and emotional stresses faced by new Chinese immigrant teenagers upon entering a new cultural environment. Interviews with teenagers (n=22) from three different political and economic areas of China and some of their parents (n=10) and school guidance counselors (n=2) indicate that these youth, because of…

Using a case history approach, one teacher's attempt to integrate theory and practice in an elementary English-as-a-Second-Language classroom is described. Paulo Freire's problem-posing educational model is examined in terms of its capacity to incorporate effectively the following theoretical premises: (1) language and culture form an inseparable…

A qualitative method for assessing the cognitive and linguistic development of bilingual children is presented, and its underlying model is discussed. The model views language learning as a concept formation process in three domains: cognitive; cultural; and linguistic. This method has been found useful in accurately differentiating genuine…

The case study of a Bulgarian immigrant child's literacy education in English as a Second Language (ESL) is presented. Focus is on the boy's literacy development within the context of a mainstream kindergarten/first grade classroom in Australia. The report details the teacher's observations in the classroom and particularly in the child's writing…

A 1970's educational program in Skovde, Sweden, supports the country's immigrant policy of equality, freedom of choice, and cooperation by providing for active bilingualism among immigrant children at school. The program provides instruction from certified bilingual teachers in 16 home languages for immigrant groups dominated by Finns but also…

Practical applications of the concepts of the Modern Language Project for teaching languages for special purposes at the university level are described. The Modern Languages Project, sponsored by the Council for Cultural Cooperation of the Council of Europe, involves the formulation of a coherent European policy on adult language learning which…

This chapter uses the insights of Dorothy Smith and Anna Yeatman, both feminist scholars, to explore the nature of policy formation through two examples from Australia. Smith and Yeatman argue that all description is both biased and interested. The article documents how the values of pluralism and equity were not served well by Australian policy…

This document explores problems described by learners of second languages at the university level. It reports on three case studies drawn from a language advisory service at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. An understanding of the range of experiences learners report in a given learning context is likely to shed light on ways in…

Discusses the attitudes of the Arabic-speaking peoples toward the learning of Western languages, particularly English. Ethnic Arabs regard Arabic as a God-given language. The Arab world is suspicious of any form of foreign influence: political, economic, cultural or educational. A case study of Lebanon is presented. (21 references) (CK)

This study examined the language use practices of three bilingual students enrolled in a fourth-grade class and of the class as a whole. The study found that most children reported using greater amounts of English as they progressed through the grades, and that children consistently held very positive attitudes toward Spanish and bilingualism.…

Explores the development of a multicultural literacy project designed to develop literacy both in English and the students' individual native languages. The intervention fostered collaborative relationships among researchers, teachers, parents, and students. (37 references) (Author/CK)

Summarizes a study on block scheduling for second-language programs among Canadian middle school students. Results show that students studying French on a block schedule (e.g., one-half day instruction over a 10-week period) performed better on standardized tests than did control students who received standard 40-minute per day French instruction.…