This study reports on teachers' attitudes towards their students' speech varieties of English. A sample of 172 primary, district high and secondary teachers in Western Australian was surveyed on their attitudes towards language variation and towards their students' use of specific English variants. The teachers were found to have generally…

Bias and discrimination based on the differences of others is a serious contemporary problem. Biased beliefs often lead to harmful discriminatory action and inhibit emotional and cognitive development. Such beliefs also serve as perceptual screens that constrict imagination, limit experience, and diminish the possibilities of constructing useful…

Teachers and teacher educators are faced with an urgent responsibility to support the learning of an increasingly diverse population of young children. Based on the sociocultural perspective of reading, a literature-based approach is outlined for early reading teachers. The implications of this approach to teacher education programs are further…

This qualitative investigation studies the impact of belonging to a high school Gay/Straight Alliance (GSA or Alliance) on the lives of seven students. Individual and focus group interviews were conducted over a two-year time period. The author used voices of gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and straight students to relate the experiences unique to each…

Harmonized with UNICEF's efforts to reduce hazardous and exploitative forms of child labor, this compilation of key texts examines the area of child labor and basic education. The articles are organized into four main areas covering ideas, debates, evidence, and case studies. The first part provides some definitions of childhood, work,…

This essay proposes instances of how Anglophone popular culture can offer a place for nurturing critical encounters in the context of learning English. It delineates the theoretical bases that reveal popular culture as a fundamental indicator of society and, using Anglophone movies and stories, analyzes the pedagogical possibilities for…

This book synthesizes over 100 autobiographical accounts by American Indians recalling their schooling in government and missionary institutions. From 1850 to 1930, such schools were established or supported by the federal government to "civilize" Indian children through acculturation. Chapters cover: (1) the use of autobiographical…

"Political correctness" has recently been appropriated by organizations and individual advocates seeking to attack and focus negative media attention on reforms in higher education. This report documents both the facts and media distortions that have shaped almost a decade of campus debate on affirmative action, multicultural and…

Through parents' accounts, this book provides information about the experience of having an autistic child in the family. It examines the nature of autism, the problems it presents, and the various ways that parents cope with the disorder. Chapter 1 discusses the experiences of families with autistic members and the sequence in which they were…

Two papers address different issues in linguistic theory. "Attitudes, Norms and Standardization in English: Some Aspects of the Language In Its Social Context," by Bent Preisler, looks at how attitudes affect language norms and ultimately, standardization in British and U.S. English. It begins with the attitudes and communicative…

Student characteristics and attitudes for entering freshmen at the University of South Carolina (USC) for 1976-1986 are reported and compared to 1986 national norms for public universities. Comparative data for the 1986 class by on-campus or off-campus residence are also presented. The data were collected through the Cooperative Institutional…

Informed and involved citizens are crucial to the functioning of U.S. democracy, yet many people increasingly are reluctant to exercise even the most basic responsibilities of citizenship. Participation in the political process is disturbingly low. If this trend is to be reversed, the country must strengthen civic values and expand the civic…

A study investigated the literacy development of bilingual children as they interacted in the social context of their preschool classrooms. Subjects were 12 native Spanish speaking preschoolers in a headstart classroom. It was hypothesized that what bilingual children bring to the classroom in terms of experience, values, language, culture, and…

This guide, written for persons who conduct training sessions, workshops or other meetings attended by adults with exceptional needs, begins with a brief outline of the characteristics of adult learners. A list of 10 true-false statements is then presented to assess knowledge of disabling conditions and some common myths surrounding society's…

This monograph discusses an investigation carried out in a school which has implemented an experimental reading program. Achievement, self-esteem, and social acceptance gains and their interrelations were investigated. Treatment groups (experimental and control) were the three independent variables providing a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design. Data were…