This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Alfredo H. Benavides, Lorenso Aragon, William de Rasez de Guyenne, Fang Gao, Jae Park, Tom Humphries, Sandra A. Butvilofsky, Lubna Alsagoff, Wei-wei Wang, and Eva Midobuche.
(2003). Policy Matters in Teaching English Language Learners: New York and California. Urban Diversity Series. This monograph in the Urban Diversity Series examines historical and current policy in the teaching of language minority students in New York and California. It explores the key issues in the public's understanding of bilingual education and defines bilingual education in terms of local educational legislation and implementations. Part I, "Teaching Language Minorities: Theory and Reality in New York City," discusses the history of bilingual education programs in New York City public schools and the theories that frame bilingual education policy. Using data from the New York City Department of Education (formerly, the Board of Education), it presents information on English Language Learner (ELL) enrollment from 1987 to 2002 and New York City and New York State standards for classifying students as Limited English Proficient or English Language Learners. The paper also analyzes the effectiveness of the bilingual education program in terms of reclassification rates of ELLs and general student achievement. Part II, "Dismantling Bilingual Education: The Impact of Proposition 227 in California," analyzes the implementation of Proposition 227 in California and its outcomes. The paper looks specifically at: 1) California law on instruction for English Learners before and after Proposition 227 and the implementation of Proposition 227 by school districts; 2) the process by which a child is designated limited-English proficient or English Learner, the characteristics of these students, and rates in the number of students redesignated fluent-English-proficient; 3) bilingual education enrollment before and after Proposition 227 and the characteristics of the students enrolled; 4) testing rates for all English Learners and English Learners enrolled in bilingual education; and 5) the impact of bilingual education on achievement in California and nationwide. Two appendices to the second part describe interpretations of Proposition 227 requirements for structured immersion in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco and Interpretations of Informed Consent and circumstances justifying parental waiver of Proposition 227 in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Students, Educational Change
(2010). Bilingual Curriculum Construction in Business Education for Non-Key Universities in China, Online Submission. Weak effectiveness of bilingual education is an especially obvious phenomenon in non-key universities of China where students have poorer English ground and bilingual curriculums are unconstructive designed partly because of the scarcity of teaching resources. This paper discusses failures of these unconstructive curriculum systems from the view of cognitive learning and points out that just because of the lags in BICS [basic interpersonal communication skills] and CALP [cognitive academic language proficiency] of students in non-key universities, metacognitive process should be substantially considered and completely integrated in construction of bilingual curriculum system including aspects of bilingual allocation, subject design, bilingual arrangement and prepositive training. This paper takes International Business Specialty in non-key universities as an example and highly involves writer's teaching experiences. [More] Descriptors: Academic Discourse, Interpersonal Communication, International Trade, Bilingual Education
(2010). School Finance and English Language Learners: A Legislative Perspective, Journal of the Association of Mexican American Educators. The state of California educates over six million or twelve percent of the nation's student population. Approximately three million are Latino and 1.5 million are classified as English Language Learners (ELLs). English Language Learners are significantly underperforming in math and reading compared to White students in all grade levels. The achievement gap actually continues to increase the longer that students are in school. These trends create major challenges for policy makers and advocates. Most critical is examining the potential causes of the achievement gap. Most scholarly articles related to California school finance and English Language Learners focus on court cases, propositions and/or budget revenue/expenditure analysis. Notably missing from the scholarship is a historical legislative overview to understand entitlement funding earmarked to target ELLs in California. This article focuses primarily on categorical entitlement funds because entitlement resources are more stable since the funding source is guaranteed to renew each fiscal year, and, due to a long history of availability, people know more about these funds. Currently, only two significant entitlement categorical funds designated for ELLs in California exist. They are State Economic Impact Aid (EIA) and Federal Title III funds (formerly Title VII). In addition, other key legislation related to English Language Learners is often cited in the bilingual education literature but without an emphasis on the fiscal impact including AB 2284 (1972), the first legislation that provided funds for bilingual education in California. This article provides (1) an overview of the major legislative actions affecting entitlement funding for California English Language Learners since 1968 and (2) a discussion of the current salient issues to improve education for ELLs related to school finance. The next section outlines germane legislation that has impacted the K-12 school finance for ELLs. [More] Descriptors: Achievement Gap, Elementary Secondary Education, Bilingual Education, Educational Finance
(2010). Perceptions, Attitudes, and the Identification of Dispositions for Teachers of English-Language Learners, Teacher Education and Practice. Most of the literature on dispositions is focused on mainstream teachers and on diversity and not specifically on the dispositions of teachers of English-language learners. Researchers have stated that while dispositions are extremely important, they continue to be elusive and a neglected part of teacher education, especially for teachers of English-language learners. A review of existing definitions and disposition models are presented along with the results of a pilot study with ESL (English as a second language) and bilingual education preservice teachers. The study ranks the dispositions identified by the participants as well as the mode of instruction where the dispositions were observed. In beginning to create a model for identifying the dispositions needed by teachers of English-language learners, we introduce and recommend a set of catalysts for use as indicators for identifying these dispositions. [More] Descriptors: Preservice Teacher Education, Bilingual Education, English (Second Language), Second Language Learning
(2008). Are Demographics the Nation's Destiny?, School Administrator. In this article, the author discusses the demographic trends affecting America's public schools. As an expert on empirical evaluation of education, the author believes the major debates over vouchers, charter schools, bilingual education, and other issues are not really about preparing the next generation to compete with China or India, or about moving America's 4th graders up the ladder of international test results. Rather, he states, they are about cutting costs and turning some public schools into "quasi-private" places for a privileged few. [More] Descriptors: Demography, Politics of Education, Educational Finance, Educational Trends
(2012). Promoting Reflective Teaching through Simulation in a Study in Mexico Program, Journal of Hispanic Higher Education. Preparing teachers to meet the educational needs of bilingual Latino students in U.S. schools has been termed a demographic imperative. This study explored 57 U.S. teachers' reactions and reflections to participation in a simulation experience held during a teaching/learning experience in Mexico as part of their master's program in bilingual/ESL education. Findings illustrate great promise in such experiences for teachers, as they encourage critical reflection about the challenges of learning and teaching a second language. [More] Descriptors: Educational Needs, Language Teachers, Masters Programs, Foreign Countries
(2012). Moderators of Language Acquisition Models and Reading Achievement for English Language Learners: The Role of Emotional Warmth and Instructional Support, Teachers College Record. Background: Cumulatively, research indicates that teachers who are emotionally supportive and create positive classroom climates influence the outcomes of at-risk students in nontrivial ways. Prior research has also established that teacher behaviors that support autonomy, provide higher level thinking opportunities, and value students' social and cultural knowledge also contribute to achievement outcomes. Although research points to several specific aspects of teaching that affect the academic outcomes of students facing barriers, existing theory and research suggest that classroom dynamics do not unfold uniformly across various settings. To date, the chief means of addressing the problem of Hispanic English language learners' (ELLs') achievement has been a focus on language acquisition model effectiveness alone. Despite extant bodies of literature examining separately the contribution of classroom dynamics on student achievement and the effectiveness of language acquisition methods for ELLs, there has been no examination of the ways in which classroom dynamics may moderate language acquisition methods for ELLs. Research Questions: The present study examined the following research questions: (1) What teacher behaviors and student-level characteristics predict student achievement? (2) Do teacher behaviors moderate the relationship between language acquisition models and ELLs' achievement? Research Design: Sources of data in this study consist of student demographic variables and reading achievement for 995 students and classroom observation data using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System collected across 46 classrooms in an urban school district in Wisconsin. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to address the research questions. Results: A two-level hierarchical linear modeling analysis revealed that prior achievement, Hispanic and African American ethnicity, and eligibility for free lunch contributed significantly to the model, but gender did not. Teachers contributed markedly to student reading outcomes when they (1) incorporated student perspectives into instruction; (2) promoted autonomy and responsibility; (3) provided instructional opportunities to support higher level thinking; and (4) applied instruction to real-life applications. Cross-level interactions indicate that emotional warmth was particularly salient for ELLs in dual language immersion, whereas instructional support moderated the relationship between developmental bilingual education and reading achievement. Implications for teachers of students who are at risk for school failure are discussed. Conclusions/Recommendations: Findings from the present study suggest that developing teachers' emotional warmth and instructional support is particularly salient for teachers of ELLs, who must possess qualities associated with good teaching, both in general (such as content knowledge and pedagogical skills) and, more specifically, for ELLs (proficiency in bilingual education methods). [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Reading Achievement, At Risk Students, Academic Support Services
(2012). Korean-Chinese Parents' Language Attitudes and Additive Bilingual Education in China, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. China's diversity of minority groups, marked by many languages and cultures, has led to much push and pull experience between homogenising forces and indigenous cultures. This is apparent in its bilingual education programme for ethnic minorities, among which Korean diaspora communities are to be counted. Korean-Chinese people in China have been exposed to the global evolution from agricultural economy to market-oriented industrial and post-industrial economy. Paradoxically, this globalising societal change has fuelled their ethnic consciousness amidst a process of "monolingual market economy", where Putonghua is seen as the "High" language for upward mobility. This paper explores Korean-Chinese parents' attitudes towards Putonghua and the Korean language. Using data from interviews with 27 families in north-east China, it is argued that the more the parents are exposed to the Koreans in the Peninsula, the clearer they realise the importance of Putonghua and Korean, not only affectively, but also referentially in function of a cross-national context. The findings suggest an increasingly complex, non-determinant hierarchy of power built between the dominant language and the non-dominant language, thereby it could be suggested that an additive bilingualism in education is needed in order to cater for referential and affective functions of language. [More] Descriptors: Minority Groups, Ethnic Groups, Bilingual Education, Foreign Countries
(2010). Advancing the Language Skills of Young Latino Children. New Journalism on Latino Children, Institute of Human Development (NJ1). More than 20% of U.S. children entering kindergarten today are of Latino heritage. And Latino children–growing-up in highly diverse communities–enter school with weaker math and English preliteracy skills than their non-Latino peers. The growing percentage of Spanish-speaking children in today's classrooms raises questions for educators, parents, and policymakers about how to best ensure these children acquire English and have a successful start in school. This brief reviews empirical research on the effects of quality preschool for Latino English learners; the efficacy of three instructional strategies for these children, including English immersion (EI), transitional bilingual education (TB), and dual language immersion (DL); and how facets of quality may enhance early learning. [More] Descriptors: Educational Strategies, Bilingual Education, Second Language Learning, Language Skills
(2010). A Public Policy Perspective on English Medium Instruction in China, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. Language education for ethnic majority and minority students alike has recently received much policy attention in the People's Republic of China. An outcome of this policy attention is the Chinese-English bilingual education initiative which turns on the use of English as a medium of instruction for Han majority students at the primary and secondary levels of education. This paper draws on the public policy perspective on language policy formulated by Francois Grin and analyses the English medium instruction initiative in terms of four principles that can guide policy evaluations, namely normative justification, practical feasibility, allocative effectiveness and distributive justice. Implications then are derived from the analysis for a policy deliberation on the use of English as an instructional medium in trilingual provision for autochthonous ethnic minorities in China. The paper concludes by sketching a policy alternative to English medium instruction for both majority and minority students. [More] Descriptors: Chinese, Justice, Multilingualism, Policy Formation
(2010). Codeswitching Techniques: Evidence-Based Instructional Practices for the ASL/English Bilingual Classroom, American Annals of the Deaf. The authors present a perspective on emerging bilingual deaf students who are exposed to, learning, and developing two languages–American Sign Language (ASL) and English (spoken English, manually coded English, and English reading and writing). The authors suggest that though deaf children may lack proficiency or fluency in either language during early language-learning development, they still engage in codeswitching activities, in which they go back and forth between signing and English to communicate. The authors then provide a second meaning of codeswitching–as a purpose-driven instructional technique in which the teacher strategically changes from ASL to English print for purposes of vocabulary and reading comprehension. The results of four studies are examined that suggest that certain codeswitching strategies support English vocabulary learning and reading comprehension. These instructional strategies are couched in a five-pronged approach to furthering the development of bilingual education for deaf students. [More] Descriptors: Evidence, Educational Strategies, Reading Comprehension, Bilingual Education
(2011). Profiles of Elementary-Age English Language Learners with Reading-Related Learning Disabilities (LD) Identified as Speech and Language Impaired Prior to, at, or after Identification as LD, ProQuest LLC. This study examined the characteristics of 14 English Language Learners classified as having learning disabilities (LD) who were also identified as having speech and language impairments (SI) prior to, at, or after initial identification as LD. Data were collected under the auspices of a longitudinal study, Bilingual Exceptional Students: Effective Practices for Oral Language and Reading Instruction, conducted by multicultural special education faculty at the University of Texas at Austin between 1999 and 2002. Participants were served in bilingual education and bilingual special education programs in a large, central Texas school District. Archival data from students' cumulative, bilingual and special education records were analyzed to profile student characteristics at the point of their initial LD and SI eligibility determinations. A clinical judgment panel comprised of bilingual special education experts analyzed student data and made independent eligibility recommendations for each participant. These recommendations were compared to the multidisciplinary teams (MDTs') eligibility decisions. Findings revealed that MDTs based eligibility primary on the presence of an IQ-achievement discrepancy and did not adequately consider factors, other than the presence of LD that could explain student difficulties. When data other than the IQ-achievement discrepancy were considered, the clinical judgment panel classified 4 participants as LD and 9 as having disabilities other than LD; the panel felt that data for one student were insufficient to make an eligibility recommendation. Findings related to identification of SI for this population were limited because students were assessed using a Spanish translation of an English speech and language assessment developed by the district. Test results corroborated parents' and teachers' concerns that these students had significant communication problems. Implications for improving practices related to early intervention, referral, assessment, and eligibility determinations for ELLs are presented and suggestions for future research are delineated. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: www.proquest.com/en-US/products/disserta… [More] Descriptors: Elementary School Students, Profiles, English Language Learners, English (Second Language)
(2008). Reorganizing Teacher Preparation in Deaf Education, Sign Language Studies. This article describes efforts at the University of California, San Diego in the Education Studies Program to develop and field-test a teacher preparation program that combines best practices in bilingual education and deaf education. The training curriculum designed for this program relies on research that finds a correlation between ASL fluency and English literacy. Also discussed is a collaborative project between training faculty and K-12 partners to transition between more traditional deaf education practices and new teaching and assessment practices focused on ASL literacy development as well as development in other languages. [More] Descriptors: Elementary Secondary Education, Bilingual Education, Deafness, Literacy
(2010). Teacher Education Reform and Subaltern Voices: From Politica to Practica in Bolivia, Journal of Language, Identity, and Education. In 1994, the National Educational Reform in Bolivia instituted reforms that called for a model of education that held at its center the knowledge and languages of Indigenous people. The types of change called for by the reforms in Bolivia signify major transformations in teacher preparation practices and a concerted emphasis on training in bilingual intercultural education. At the core of such efforts is the notion that hegemonic practices and voices are critiqued and subaltern voices and practices become a base for change. This study examines whether and how this policy has helped to foster the expansion of Indigenous voices and engagement in bilingual intercultural education. It also considers how the Bolivian educational reforms help to develop notions of interculturalism and promote the development of a multilingual and pluricultural nation. [More] Descriptors: Multicultural Education, Indigenous Populations, Multilingualism, Educational Change
(2008). Bilingual Education in Navarre: Achievements and Challenges, Language, Culture and Curriculum. This paper examines the impact of the Basque Law of 1986 on the status of Basque in schools in the Autonomous Community of Navarre. The sociolinguistic situation of Navarre is outlined, and changes in enrollment figures for the three principal language models (A, D and G) in infant and primary school in the different linguistic zones are examined from 1988/1989 to 2005/2006. It is argued that the linguistic zoning established by the Basque Law and the influence it has on the limitations to the teaching of Basque and through the medium of Basque exert a great influence on the social consideration of the language, its development in education and its potential to increase in the future. The attitudes of the population towards bilingual education in Basque are positive and the linguistic immersion model in this language is becoming an important reference. The teaching of foreign languages, mainly English, in Basque models is considered as a way towards multilingual education, while in Spanish models English has become a way to start bilingual education. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Multilingualism, Enrollment, Indo European Languages