Two reports concerning the education of limited-English-proficient students are presented. The Task D160 report presents information on current and planned state certification requirements for bilingual education and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers, and the ways in which these requirements address or do not address the challenge of…

The paper examines some critical issues regarding the Spanish language proficiency of bilingual education teachers, primarily those from the Spanish-language-origin community. Recent longitudinal studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between sustained native language instruction and student achievement. Because this finding is…

Focuses on the training and language fluency of teachers in bilingual/bicultural programs. (EA)

There exists a need to explore issues regarding entry/exit level criteria and assessment practices in bilingual teacher training programs. Among the few studies on this topic, one is summarized here. Relevant data are analyzed and summarized and models for assessment are presented. A survey of 127 items was mailed to 93 randomly selected teacher…

Some of the author's findings as a bilingual educator are summarized in this paper. One of the principal problems encountered in bilingual education is the inadequacy of classroom materials and texts. It was found, however, that though most teachers express dissatisfaction regarding materials, few of them see the potential impact of contacting…

Advocates an approach to bilingual education based on vocabulary development and structure of the English language. Reviews methods that were tested and revised or discarded by the author over an 8-year period--including naturalistic, phonetic and programmed approaches--and describes in some detail the strategy found most effective. (BRT)

A diagnostic Spanish proficiency exam for a bilingual education teacher preparation program was pilot tested with 38 students, both native and non-native speakers. Other standardized proficiency exams were considered but judged inappropriate. The Modern Language Association Cooperative Foreign Language Proficiency Test: Spanish seemed more useful…

In the wake of the 1974 decision handed down by the Supreme Court in Lau v Nichols, there has been a burgeoning of training programs, workshops, conferences, and graduate programs in bilingual bicultural education. This paper examines some of the sources of these developments and attempts to put theory and practice into historical, cultural, and…

The advent of state supported bilingual education means that appropriate strategies for the implementation of successful multicultural programs must be identified. Organizational and human relations needs must be adequately assessed. The implementation of educational innovations requires a healthy organizational climate in which change is…

The first year of an ESEA/Title III experimental program to teach beginning reading in Spanish to 300 Mexican-American first graders in Corpus Christi, Texas, was described. While learning to read in Spanish, the children simultaneously learned English through aural-oral approach, with the goal of reading in both languages by the end of grade 2. A…

Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and Dialects is a complex task. However, there is a growing awareness of the similarities of the various types of English teaching, as well as a recognition of the need for communication among teachers. Well-designed TESL or TEFL curricula, regardless of the type of program, share certain objectives…

This study sought to determine whether there would be any significant difference in the scores on an English reading test between second and third grade Puerto Rican students in a bilingual program, and second and third grade students in the same school, but not in the program. The subjects, 160 predominantly disadvantaged Puerto Rican students,…

"Carrascolendas" is a bilingual instructional television program, patterned after "Sesame Street", which is designed to introduce Mexican-American children to the dominant American culture and yet encourage them to retain part of their own cultural identity. The program also seeks to maximize the child's chances of success in…

This article describes a program in Buenos Aires at the tertiary level offering certification in elementary education plus language certification. The program is bilingual (English/Spanish); courses and methods are described. (CHK)

Bilingual education and Mark's Meadow Laboratory School involves the use of adult tutors who work with non-English-speaking children within one of two international classrooms. The tutors serve not only as teachers but as psychological supports for children undergoing both linguistic and cultural adjustment. (GC)