This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Ainur N. Zhorabekova, Jim Cummins, Cheng-Hui Tsai, Nadia Regina Granados, Anna M. Hartranft, Michael Whitacre, Romero Lara Herrera, Chuan Po Wang, Gregory A. Cheatham, and Rebecca D. Silverman.
(2015). Attitudinal Perspectives: A Factor to Implementation of a Dual Language Program, International Journal of Instruction. The central focus of this study was to determine the overall perceptions of school administrators, and the district bilingual coordinator on transferring theory to classroom practice, implementation, as viewed by those involved in the implementation process of the Gómez and Gómez Model of Dual Language Education. Responses were solicited from administrative personnel involved in the implementation of the Gómez and Gómez Model of Dual Language. Results revealed overall administrative attitudes were positive to the theoretical ideology and mixed as related to the actual implementation of the dual language program. The greatest areas of concern were; what to do when students enter the program who are either not Spanish dominant or who have not been in a dual language program. The second area of concern was with how to effectively evaluate teachers as they are observed for implementation of the dual langue program. Lastly, most administrators felt there was a lack of faculty proficient in Spanish. [More] Descriptors: Administrator Attitudes, Spanish, Theory Practice Relationship, Models
(2015). Taiwan's Chinese Language Development and the Creation of Language Teaching Analysis, Universal Journal of Educational Research. Chinese Teaching in Taiwan in recent years in response to the international trend of development, making at all levels of Chinese language teaching in full swing, for the recent boom in Chinese language teaching, many overseas Chinese language learning for children also had a passion while actively learning Chinese language, and even many overseas ethnic Chinese children to learn Chinese language and went oceans, arrived in Taiwan to learn Mandarin. This study presents the Chinese language teaching, the definition is as "Chinese" as the Chinese language and voice, and "Chinese" is for the Chinese literature and culture; therefore will combine "cultural points" "language spots"; coherent development into a "Chinese Language Line"; then woven into a "Chinese language teaching face"; Finally, integration into the world,"Chinese language curriculum integration network." The integration of language teaching in China, among other disciplines, is very important for Chinese language teaching essence. Research will examine the views discussed "Chinese language integration courses" to carry out, how to make a solid foundation for Chinese language teaching language skills, you can make the Chinese language teaching to deepen the connotation of Chinese literature, culture, society, history …… so, even indigenous multi-ethnic …… and other related courses, either in Taiwan or overseas Chinese language teaching of foreign learners begin to experience the multicultural make baptism as the goal, and then deep essence and mystery of Chinese culture for thousands of years at the world, creating new culture of "diversity of thinking," and a full range of "polygonal learning" to make "cultural communities" international exchanges bring out the bright spark of a new era. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Chinese, Language of Instruction, Native Language Instruction
(2015). Becoming Educational Advocates: Experience-Based Tips, Higher Education for the Future. This article deals with the importance of building partnerships between legislators and educators in order to impact educational legislation. To this end, the faculty in the college of education at a large, urban university made institutional changes to establish a proactive relationship amongst stakeholders. As a result of this exchange, we were able to impact two important legislative bills, Assembly Bill (AB) No. 1871 on bilingual teacher credentialing and the State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB). The AB No. 1871 authorized multiple paths to a bilingual teaching certification. The Biliteracy seal, effective from 1 January 2012, recognizes secondary school graduates who have achieved a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading and writing in one or more languages in addition to English. In the latter part of the article, we share valuable tips for educators who wish to engage in local and national advocacy. [More] Descriptors: Educational Legislation, Legislators, College Faculty, Teacher Role
(2015). Language Skills and Reading Comprehension in English Monolingual and Spanish-English Bilingual Children in Grades 2-5, Reading and Writing: An Interdisciplinary Journal. The present study investigated language skills and reading comprehension with English monolingual and Spanish-English bilingual children in grades 2-5. Of the 377 children in the sample, 207 were English monolingual and 170 were Spanish-English bilingual. Data were collected within a cohort-sequential design for two academic years in the fall and spring of each year. Growth modeling was used to estimate initial status on measures of vocabulary breadth, vocabulary depth, morphological awareness, and syntactic skill. A latent variable was created to capture the construct of reading comprehension, and growth modeling was used to estimate growth and ending status in latent reading comprehension. Analyses controlling for initial status in word recognition investigated relationships between initial status in language skills and growth and ending status in reading comprehension. Results showed that initial status on vocabulary breadth was related to growth in reading comprehension and initial status in vocabulary depth and syntactic skill were related to ending status in reading comprehension. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed. [More] Descriptors: Language Skills, Reading Comprehension, Monolingualism, Bilingual Education
(2015). Pluralistic Approaches to Languages in the Curriculum: The Case of French-Speaking Switzerland, Spain and Austria, International Journal of Multilingualism. While the idea of plurilingual competence is widely established theoretically and promoted in European language policies, it is not implemented in educational practice, where separate plurilingualism is still dominant. The idea of languages as autonomous entities is e.g. reflected in the "Common European Framework of Reference for Languages" (CEFR) scales. The paper introduces to the Framework of Reference for Pluralistic Approaches to Languages and Cultures (FREPA). Pluralistic approaches use teaching and learning activities involving several (i.e. more than one) varieties of language, e.g. the language(s) of schooling, foreign languages, regional, minority and migration languages. FREPA thereby offers tools to put the theoretical insights and language policies into practice. The article illustrates how pluralistic approaches, in recent years, have been used in the process of large-scale national and regional curriculum renewals in Austria, French-speaking Switzerland and Spain. By promoting plurilingual education on the macro-level and including languages that are still neglected in most European curricula, these countries make a key contribution to diminishing discrepancy between theory and practice. The three cases manifest the context specificity of language-planning decisions and support supra-level comparisons by defining the specific aims and contents of plurilingual education. Furthermore, the curricular implementations offer the possibility to discuss the implementation in actual classroom practice. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Language Planning, Multilingualism, Guidelines
(2015). Formation of Future Teachers' Professional Competence on the Basis of Polylingual Approach: The State Analysis, International Education Studies. Nowadays the institutions of higher education are facing new challenges, the which aim is to provide highly qualified specialists who have mastered not only professional knowledge, but also ready for intercultural multilingual communication, solving problems independently, teaching subjects in two or more languages. For teacher training, we need a polylingual multicultural environment, design and implementation of new technologies. In addition, content and language integrated learning will contribute to it, which is one of polylingual approaches. Therefore, the aim of our study is to analyze the state of formation of future teachers' professional competence on the basis of polylingual approach. According to the developed diagnostic techniques, professional competence consists of three components: motivational, cognitive and operational. On the basis of these components there are highlighted criteria, indicators and levels characterizing the formation of the future teacher's professional competence on the basis polylingual approach. The study presents the results of verifying experiment. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Preservice Teachers, Preservice Teacher Education, Multilingualism
(2015). Advanced EFL Learners' Beliefs about Pronunciation Teaching, International Education Studies. This paper explores EFL learners' beliefs about English pronunciation teaching and aims to provide insights into current teaching practices of English pronunciation at both college and university levels. To this end, the study sought to elicit the beliefs of a group of 71 third- and fourth-year EFL learners majoring in English at a university college in Saudi Arabia about crucial aspects of pronunciation teaching. The study utilized a survey containing five-point Likert scale items as well as multiple-choice questions. Open-ended questions were also included in order to gain fuller understanding of students' views. Data were thematically analyzed and consequently categorized into five major areas: course design, language of instruction, learning and teaching style, types of feedback, and nativeness of teachers. It was found that students in this study context are cognizant of the value of learning English pronunciation, and of what they find useful and less useful. Students also proved willing to help improve pronunciation instruction by providing helpful perspectives on the proper way, at least in their views, to present this sub-skill. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, English (Second Language), College Students, Student Attitudes
(2015). Improving Students' English Speaking Proficiency in Saudi Public Schools, International Journal of Instruction. In English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts, the absence of authentic language learning situations outside the classroom presents a significant challenge to improving students' English communication skills. Specific obstacles in the learning environment can also result in students' limited use of English inside the classroom. These issues ultimately affect students' English speaking capacity. Focusing on the Saudi EFL context, this paper attempted to identify the causes of Saudi students' low proficiency in English communication and provide some recommendations to address these issues. The most significant findings of the paper were: (1) reforming specific Ministry of Education and Higher Education policies in Saudi Arabia is crucial; (2) the Saudi education system should reinforce the use of contemporary approaches to teaching that emphasise problem solving and critical thinking skills and put students in charge of their own learning; and (3) the ministry should consider converting some Saudi public schools into bilingual schools. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, English (Second Language), Second Language Instruction, Second Language Learning
(2015). Teacher Feedback to Support Oral Language Learning for Young Dual Language Learners, Early Child Development and Care. With the increasing numbers of dual language learners (DLLs) in early childhood programmes, the use of research-based and effective pedagogical strategies to support oral language learning is important. Early childhood classrooms can provide many opportunities to support language learning. Teacher feedback is an intentional teaching strategy to support oral language skills for both English and children's home language. We first present an overview of contexts for language learning in early childhood including a discussion of intentional teaching. Next, we discuss considerations for early childhood teachers' provision of feedback to children regarding their oral language use. Finally, we present six teacher feedback strategies to foster oral English and/or home language skills for DLLs. [More] Descriptors: Early Childhood Education, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Students, Bilingualism
(2015). Developing ASL Text in the Bilingual Classroom, Odyssey: New Directions in Deaf Education. Deaf students are visual learners, and technology should be part of every bilingual classroom. However, deaf students need to learn to manipulate the hardware and software that allows them to express themselves and to advance their knowledge. Students need to understand what is meant when they are referred to "ASL text" or "video-text." They need to understand how to effectively express American Sign Language (ASL) and capture it on video, and they need to understand that these ASL presentations can require the same intensive care and attention as any printed work. While the field of ASL publication is still new to K-12 education, this article describes a six-step look at how to use video to develop students' skills in technology and narrative along with improving their understanding and use of ASL by: (1) defining the purpose; (2) discussing the content; (3) identifying the audience; (4) planning a format; (5) following the "text development" process; and (6) evaluation. Additional pointers are provided for helping students to create better quality video-texts. Of course, all of this technological support cannot be achieved without professional development with experts who know how to use the technology in a way that best benefits Deaf learners. Training needs to be allocated for updates in current software, locating quality resources, creating videos, categorizing and tagging videos, and identifying and recording new bilingual strategies. With technology, advancements in bilingualism and in deaf education can provide complete access for Deaf students. [More] Descriptors: American Sign Language, Bilingualism, Audience Awareness, Video Technology
(2015). Dual Language Graduates' Participation in Bilingual and Biliterate Communities of Practice across Time and Space, Bilingual Research Journal. Through a Communities of Practice Network Analysis, this research illustrates the ways in which dual language graduates participate in multiple, varied, and overlapping communities of practice across time. Findings highlight that the dual language school as a shared community of practice represents a critical and formative part of participants' later bilingual and biliterate practices, creating an enduring foundation for their values and beliefs surrounding bilingualism and biliteracy and opening up increased opportunities to participate in expanded bilingual and bicultural practices. However, the school was not in and of itself enough to produce long-term bilinguals and biliterates. Of equal importance were the out-of-school contexts for participation in language and literacy practices across diverse contexts. As participants in this study traverse the various social fields of their everyday lives, bilingual and biliterate skills are leveraged within socially situated communities of practice. Similarly, we might view the changing circumstances and contexts for biliteracy practices as dynamic spaces within which previous patterns might be altered or transformed. [More] Descriptors: Communities of Practice, Bilingualism, Literacy, Bilingual Education
(2015). Mexican Secondary School Students' Perception of Learning the History of Mexico in English (La percepción de alumnos mexicanos de secundaria cuando aprenden la historia de México en inglés), PROFILE: Issues in Teachers' Professional Development. This article focuses on Mexican students' perceptions of learning the history of Mexico in English through content-based instruction, which is one of many types of bilingual pedagogical approaches that are now considered established approaches in Mexico and around the globe. A phenomenological approach was chosen in order to understand and examine participants' lived experiences through semistructured interviews; this in turn led to the discovery of their acceptance or rejection towards learning the history of Mexico in English. The data suggest that despite students' initial rejection to learning a sensitive subject as is the history of Mexico in English, most students found the content-based method as being meaningful, thus, they had a sense of pride in the end. [More] Descriptors: Mexicans, Student Attitudes, History Instruction, Language of Instruction
(2015). Intercultural Education and Academic Achievement: A Framework for School-Based Policies in Multilingual Schools, Intercultural Education. The paper reviews quantitative and qualitative research evidence regarding the relationship between intercultural education and academic achievement among students from socially marginalized communities. Intercultural education is conceptualized as including a focus both on generating understanding and respect for diverse cultural traditions and challenging inequitable distribution of resources and educational opportunities across social groups. As such, intercultural education incorporates notions such as critical literacy and culturally responsive education. By definition, socially marginalized communities have experienced social exclusion and discrimination, often over generations. Thus, educators who adopt an intercultural education orientation are also committed to challenging the operation of coercive relations of power within their school environments. The operation of societal power relations that affect marginalized group students' academic achievement can be conceptualized along a continuum ranging from "structural/societal," through "structural/educational," to "interpersonal." Structural/societal forms of discrimination are largely outside the scope of what educators can influence directly (e.g. housing segregation). However, the research evidence suggests that educators have considerable power to resist and challenge coercive power relations operating at both structural/educational (e.g. curriculum materials) and interpersonal (e.g. classroom interactions) dimensions of the continuum. Thus, the proposed framework represents an explanatory model to account for patterns of school success and failure among marginalized group students and a predictive model to specify educator behaviors that are likely to promote academic achievement. [More] Descriptors: Multicultural Education, Academic Achievement, School Policy, Multilingualism
(2015). Language Revitalization and the Normalization of Basque: A Study of Teacher Perceptions and Expectations in the Basque Country, Current Issues in Language Planning. In the Basque Country, Northern Spain, Basque (Euskera) and Spanish are official languages. In recent decades, Basque language revitalization and the efforts to make this an unmarked language (normalization) have co-existed with the rapid increase in immigration from outside the Basque region, and most recently from outside Spain. Given the critical role of schools and teachers in the incorporation of newcomers, this study examines 201 teachers' and 96 education students' (pre-service teachers, university students who will be teachers. Informants were practicing teachers and future teachers.) perceptions of normalization and the new immigrants in the Basque Country. The issues addressed in this article are the following: (i) the rate of normalization (movement toward universal usage and high prestige across domains) of the Basque language; (ii) acquisition rates of Spanish and Basque languages by the children of new immigrants; and (iii) likely maintenance of the immigrant students' home language. Results indicate slow advancement toward normalization of the Basque language. Immigrant students are expected to obtain higher levels of fluency in Spanish and their home language than in the Basque language. Important differences in perceptions are found related to the linguistic profiles of the informants. Based on the findings, language policy recommendations are advanced. These recommendations might be applicable to the Basque region and wherever similar challenges and opportunities may be found. [More] Descriptors: Language Maintenance, Languages, Foreign Countries, Immigrants
(2015). Monolingual or Bilingual Intervention for Primary Language Impairment? A Randomized Control Trial, Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research. Purpose: This study investigated the clinical effectiveness of monolingual versus bilingual language intervention, the latter involving speech-language pathologist-parent collaboration. The study focuses on methods that are currently being recommended and that are feasible within current clinical contexts. Method: Bilingual children with primary language impairment who speak a minority language as their home language and French as their second (n = 29, mean age = 5 years) were randomly assigned to monolingual treatment, bilingual treatment, and no-treatment (delayed-treatment) conditions. Sixteen sessions of individual language intervention were offered, targeting vocabulary and syntactic skills in French only or bilingually, through parent collaboration during the clinical sessions. Language evaluations were conducted before and after treatment by blinded examiners; these evaluations targeted French as well as the home languages. An additional evaluation was conducted 2 months after completion of treatment to assess maintenance of gains. Both monolingual and bilingual treatment followed a focused stimulation approach. Results: Results in French showed a significant treatment effect for vocabulary but no difference between treatment conditions. Gains were made in syntax, but these gains could not be attributed to treatment given that treatment groups did not improve more than the control group. Home language probes did not suggest that the therapy had resulted in gains in the home language. Conclusions: The intervention used in this study is in line with current recommendations of major speech-language pathology organizations. However, the findings indicate that the bilingual treatment created through collaboration with parents was not effective in creating a sufficiently intense bilingual context to make it significantly different from the monolingual treatment. Further studies are needed to assess the gains associated with clinical modifications made for bilingual children and to search for effective ways to accommodate their unique needs. [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Monolingualism, Language of Instruction, Speech Language Pathology