This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Victor L. Willson, Joanne Roberts, Lydia Lum, Dinah Volk, Lawrence Jun Zhang, Barbara Culatta, Shanan Fitts, Maria Angelova, Norbert Francis, and William M. Saunders.
(2006). Attitudes and Motivation versus Language Achievement in Cross-Linguistic Settings. What Is Cause and What Effect?, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development. In the bilingual contexts of two regions of Spain, Asturias (Asturian/Spanish) and Eastern Aragon (Catalan/Spanish), and given the relationship between language attitudes and linguistic proficiency, our study has two objectives. Firstly, the attitudes to the two contact languages are described. Secondly, the variables that can explain such attitudes are studied. A questionnaire that had been successfully implemented in other areas was adapted and applied to a sample of 231 pupils in Asturias and 163 pupils in Eastern Aragon, all in their second year of secondary schooling (aged 13-14). In each case, the results showed globally favourable attitudes to both languages in contact, although these are determined by (1) a significant influence derived from attending Asturian lessons in Asturias or Catalan classes in Eastern Aragon and (2) the subjects' home language. [More] Descriptors: Language Attitudes, Foreign Countries, Bilingualism, Language Proficiency
(2006). Peer Teaching and Learning: Co-Constructing Language in a Dual Language First Grade, Language and Education. This paper presents findings from a study of teaching and learning strategies co-constructed by peers in a Spanish/English dual language first grade classroom. Grounded in sociocultural theory and developed using ethnographic approaches to data collection and analysis, the study analyses the children's mediation of their own and each other's language learning within and across languages, focusing on strategies that support learning. The strategies are analysed within the context of teaching/learning interactions in a Dual Language Programme with attention given to the children's ongoing negotiation of the linguistic roles of novice, expert, and dual language expert when working in mixed groups in the English and Spanish classrooms. [More] Descriptors: Grade 1, Peer Teaching, Learning Strategies, Bilingualism
(2006). Language, Culture & Technology, Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. Nationally, foreign language faculty have been adjusting their curricula to ensure that today's college students know how to use technology to communicate effectively in languages other than their native tongue. Once upon a time, students were considered fluent if they could read, write, speak and aurally comprehend a foreign language. However that is not enough anymore, educators say. In an age of corporate mergers, downsizing and cost-effective global communication, there is less of an emphasis on overseas business travel, and less travel means less face-to-face interaction. These days, graduates who tout foreign language skills on their job applications are expected to be able to use those skills in a variety of ways. Their tasks could include anything from producing a company memo, negotiating a business deal by phone, writing a grammatically correct e-mail, or composing a culturally relevant podcast. Higher education's response to such technical expectations has varied from campus to campus. In some cases, free-standing courses have sprung up. In others, faculty merely field student questions as they arise. Language experts are unaware of any statistics tracking classes. However, they say the matter of technological bilingualism is perhaps most common among students taking Spanish, the most popular of the more than 140 foreign languages taught in this country. [More] Descriptors: Second Languages, Language Skills, Second Language Instruction, Language Teachers
(2006). Reconstructing the Status Quo: Linguistic Interaction in a Dual-Language School, Bilingual Research Journal. This paper investigates how bilingualism is understood and practiced by adults and students in a dual-language elementary school. In this dual-language program, native English speakers and native Spanish speakers receive language and content instruction in both languages in linguistically integrated settings. I examine the participants' use of "tactics of intersubjectivity" to understand how children use their two languages to ally themselves with and distance themselves from particular people, groups, and linguistic varieties. I ultimately argue that, while the program model is fundamentally based on the idea of the separation of languages and "parallel monolingualism", it does offer students opportunities to explore linguistic forms and their attendant social meanings. (Contains 1 figure and 12 endnotes). [More] Descriptors: Bilingualism, Monolingualism, Adults, Elementary School Students
(2006). Is a Separate Block of Time for Oral English Language Development in Programs for English Learners Needed?, Elementary School Journal. The issue of whether to separate English language development (ELD) into a separate instructional block or whether to integrate it with reading/language arts instruction is an unanswered question with theoretical and practical implications. We addressed this question by observing instruction across the year in 85 kindergarten classrooms that varied in (a) whether ELD was a separate block and (b) whether the program was characterized as English immersion or bilingual. Observational data indicated that classrooms with separate ELD blocks had greater percentages of instructional time devoted to oral language and literacy activities for both types of programs. In comparison to English learners in classrooms without separate ELD blocks, English learners in classrooms with separate ELD blocks had modestly but significantly higher English oral language and literacy scores on the Woodcock Language Proficiency Battery, controlling for fall performance. Educational implications are discussed. [More] Descriptors: Second Language Learning, Kindergarten, Oral Language, Language Proficiency
(2006). Early Literacy Instruction in a Dual-Language (Spanish-English) Kindergarten, Communication Disorders Quarterly. This study determined the effectiveness of an early literacy program that embeds skills-based instruction into meaningful contexts, documented children's engagement in the instruction, and obtained insights into how language of origin (Spanish or English) influences performance in instruction in two languages. The program, Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy Instruction (SEEL), is a meaning-based approach that highlights literacy targets in hands-on and interactive activities. Researchers monitored the progress of children participating in dual-language Spanish-English class-rooms and compared performance of classrooms where instruction was applied to different skills at different times (first or second 6-week block of instruction). ANCOVAs were conducted with time of assessment (Posttest 1 and Posttest 2) and class (alliteration first versus rhyme first) as independent variables, mean raw score for each of the tasks (rhyme, alliteration, blending, and word recognition) as dependent variables, and entering performance on each measure as the covariate. Assessment of children who were native speakers of both Spanish and English showed significant time effects, reflecting progress in acquiring early literacy skills. English-speaking children demonstrated significant Time x Class effects for alliteration and rhyming. The ANCOVA analysis for Spanish-speaking children's data resulted in a significant Time x Class interaction for syllable alliteration, indicating that performance gains were related to the presence of instruction. In addition, observation of children's performance demonstrated developmental progression in attaining the targeted literacy skills, revealed high levels of engagement in instruction, and gave insights into the role played by language of instruction in the learning process. [More] Descriptors: Program Effectiveness, Language of Instruction, Word Recognition, Spanish Speaking
(2006). Getting Your Teeth into It…: Describing a Language Task in an Italian Bilingual Unit of Work, Babel. International Grammar School was founded twenty years ago on the belief in the benefits of immersion language learning for children. It offers immersion second language learning in German, Italian, French, and Japanese which continues through kindergarten into the high school years. With language as the medium and not the object of learning, students complete selected units from the primary curriculum in the second language. In this article, the authors present an example of a task in a unit of work for Stage 2 learners (Years 3-4), Health Services and Products, where the NSW language and PDHPE (personal development, health, and physical education) outcomes are integrated. The content of the unit is provided by the PDHPE syllabus and it is through this content that the language outcomes are assessed. Meaningful and achievable outcomes are selected from the syllabus, yet these outcomes must also be a viable vehicle for the teaching of the target language. The language needs not only to be interesting and challenging for the students but also fit into the scope and sequence of their language learning. [More] Descriptors: Second Languages, Second Language Learning, Bilingual Education, Immersion Programs
(2006). Retention of Hispanic/Latino Students in First Grade: Child, Parent, Teacher, School, and Peer Predictors, Journal of School Psychology. A sample of 283 Hispanic children with literacy performance at entrance to first grade below the median for their school district was studied as part of a larger research project on the predictors of grade retention in grade 1. Following retention decisions, 51 Hispanic students were retained in first grade. Low literacy skills, being young at entrance to first grade, low ego resilience, low support in the teacher-student relationship, and parents' low sense of responsibility for their children's educational outcomes predicted retention decisions. Hierarchical logistics regression investigated the contribution of six categories of variables (academic competencies; socio-demographic characteristics; social, emotional, and behavioral adjustment; resiliency, school context; and home environment) to retention. Controlling for literacy, only being young for grade and parents' low sense of responsibility for their children's adjustment to school made a direct contribution to retention. Early literacy skills were higher for children enrolled in bilingual classrooms than for children in non-bilingual classrooms. Implications for educational policy are discussed. [More] Descriptors: Grade Repetition, Hispanic American Students, Grade 1, Predictor Variables
(2006). University Students' Attitudes towards and Experiences of Bilingual Classrooms, Current Issues in Language Planning. To improve throughput rates in higher education it is important to investigate ways in which instruction can be made more effective when students have to use language(s) that are not their home or primary language. At the University of Stellenbosch, as is the case elsewhere in South Africa, a language policy and implementation plan was formulated in 2002 to manage language in education issues. One of the options for language use in the class is bilingual teaching which is seen as one way of dealing with language diversity without complete duplication of classes and materials. Most students seem to get by with this kind of support but in this project the question is whether existing bilingual teaching practices at a South African university are efficient from the students' perspective. This project describes specific stipulations in the language policy and evaluates some of the common practices and the insights they offer into the ways in which students deal with bilingual classes and use bilingual study techniques. [More] Descriptors: Language Planning, Student Attitudes, Bilingual Education, Foreign Countries
(2006). The Biliteracy Challenge: Reading between the Lines, Babel. This article describes how recent trends in improving literacy outcomes in the early years of schooling have provided the opportunity for Camberwell Primary School to identify the "best practice" that promotes high levels of achievement in English literacy and transfer this learning and knowledge to the French literacy program. The linguistic progress of students has been enhanced by a whole-school approach to literacy in both languages. Strong student progress in Camberwell's French literacy program is stimulating and highlights the rewards of attending to the factors for an effective school. Expectations are that in the near future all students will be independent readers in the French language before they leave for the secondary setting. [More] Descriptors: Literacy, French, Academic Achievement, Second Language Learning
(2006). The Family Stories Project: Using Funds of Knowledge for Writing, Reading Teacher. This article describes a literacy project with fourth-grade Latino students in a bilingual U.S. classroom and provides some insights on the importance of encouraging children's uses of two languages for communicating, reading, and writing in the classroom. The author discusses the following implications: (1) Teachers should encourage their students to write about topics from their homes and communities, including those of relatives living in other countries. This funds-of-knowledge orientation draws on understandings and experiences of the students, what they know and care about, and also lets the children become aware that their lives outside of school have meaning and importance within the classroom; (2) Written translation can develop metalinguistic awareness among bilingual children. It is a sophisticated process that demands that young writers use all that they know about oral and written language; and (3) Encouraging students to work collaboratively while writing, to use both languages that they are developing, and to write for multiple audiences can be very productive processes that assist in the development of literacy in both English and home languages, as well fostering children's desire to write in their classrooms. [More] Descriptors: Written Language, Metalinguistics, Bilingualism, Writing Instruction
(2006). The Teaching of Spanish as a Second Language in an Indigenous Bilingual Intercultural Curriculum, Language, Culture and Curriculum. This paper reports on the implementation of an ambitious bilingual instructional programme in the P'urhepecha-speaking region of Michoacan state in Mexico, the Meseta Tarasca. A curriculum of indigenous language preservation and cultural affirmation, overturning the previous Spanish-only programme, has been developed by a group of indigenous teachers in two P'urhepecha elementary schools, "Miguel Hidalgo" of San Isidro and "Benito Juarez" in the neighbouring village of Uringuitiro. Today, the P'urhepecha language is the nucleus of the curriculum. With the previous curriculum largely discredited, the bilingual teachers embarked on a project that would both provide instruction to children in a language they understand, and contribute to the preservation of their indigenous language, which in these communities, in all cases, is children's first language (L1). Being cognizant of the importance of learning Spanish as a second language, a major current planning and curriculum design priority is to find a way to integrate Spanish language instruction into the academic subject areas in accordance with current models of content-based second language teaching. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Second Language Instruction, Curriculum Design, Bilingualism
(2006). Boston Public Schools K1 and K2 Programs Needs Assessment. Internal Report to the Department of Early Childhood, Boston Public Schools, Wellesley Centers for Women. The Boston Public Schools (BPS) Department of Early Childhood commissioned a needs assessment of current kindergarten (K2) and preschool (K1) programs (1) to inform the BPS Department of Early Childhood about professional development needs to improve the quality of existing K1 and K2 programs; and (2) to inform the Department of additional classroom resources necessary to expand the K1 program to provide universal access for Boston 4 year olds to accredited, full day programs. This report is based on data collected from 43 K1 classrooms and 85 K2 classrooms in 67 different BPS schools in the 2005-2006 school year. Integrated classrooms were included in the sample, as were SEI and bilingual classrooms. The BPS Needs Assessment consisted of classroom observations, surveys of classroom teachers and school principals, as well as surveys completed by 844 families with children in the selected classrooms. The report makes nine recommendations: (1) Bring all K1 and K2 programs up to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Early Childhood Program Standards and the BPS Citywide Learning Standards for Kindergarten; (2) Ensure that all classrooms meet the NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards for health and safety; (3) Provide all K1 and K2 classrooms with the equipment and materials needed to provide a high-quality early childhood program for all students; (4) Ensure that all K1 and K2 classrooms have a paraprofessional present for the entire day and that class sizes meet NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards of no more than 10 children per teacher (and paraprofessional) in K1, and no more than 12 children per teacher (and paraprofessional) in K2; (5) Ensure that all K1 and K2 classrooms have a paraprofessional present for the entire day and that class sizes meet NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards of no more than 10 children per teacher (and paraprofessional) in K1, and no more than 12 children per teacher (and paraprofessional) in K2; (6) Boston currently has a system of mixed delivery of early childhood education, including the BPS Early Childhood programs, Head Starts and community centers. Planning efforts and programs of BPS Early Childhood should identify ways to strengthen this mixed delivery system to ensure all children enter school ready to learn; (7) Improve school bus transportation for K1 and K2 children; (8) Provide before and after school programs in the schools; and (9) Expand cooperation between schools and families through additional supports for family-school communication. [This report was produced by the Wellesley Center for Women, Wellesley College.] [More] Descriptors: Public Schools, Early Childhood Education, Needs Assessment, Bilingual Education
(2012). Segregating Arizona's English Learners: A Return to the "Mexican Room"?, Teachers College Record. Background:This study grew out of a recent Supreme Court case known as "Horne v Flores." The case began in 1992 in Nogales, Arizona when a 4th grade English learner (EL), Miriam Flores, sued the district and the state for failing to provide her (and other EL students) with an appropriate education as guaranteed by the Equal Educational Opportunity Act of 1974. After years of failing to respond to federal court orders, in 2007 Arizona adopted, and in 2008 implemented, a 4-hour English language development course that (1) segregates EL students from their English speaking peers; (2) denies them access to the core curriculum; and (3) groups them with students who also lack knowledge of English so that the EL students have no opportunity to interact with English speaking students. The Supreme Court intervened in June 2009 with a decision that largely absolved the state from any requirement that they fund programs for EL students in a manner that bore "a rational relationship to the students' needs." But, the Court did remand the case back to federal court to investigate whether the program in place was, indeed, meeting the needs of the EL students. Arizona has a history of serious school segregation that has harmed English language learners and other students. In 1950 the state still had a law mandating racial segregation of students and even when the Supreme Court ruled Southern segregation unconstitutional in 1954, Arizona was one of only a handful of states where state law still permitted school districts to openly segregate their students. Both Latino and black students went to court to try to reverse segregation, winning victories in state and federal courts in the 1950s but this did not resolve the issues, which are still being litigated in Arizona sixty years later in 2011. Purpose: At the time of the remand in 2009, there was no empirical research on the impact of the four-hour English Language Development (ELD) program, nor had there been any legal challenge to a program that both segregated EL students from their English speaking peers for the entire day in many cases, and denied the students access to the regular curriculum, which is guaranteed by an earlier Supreme Court decision, "Lau v Nichols," in 1974. This study draws upon both new empirical research on this topic as well as the extant literature on instruction of English learners and the effects of segregation on minority students to fill this void. The study reported here is one of nine studies commissioned by the Civil Rights Project/Proyecto Derechos Civiles at UCLA whose intent was to determine how students are taught and how they learn in the four-hour program, and to what extent the program operates meets the requirement of federal anti-discrimination laws. Findings: Based on an exhaustive review of the extant research on segregation and linguistic isolation, this study finds that the excessive segregation of Arizona's Latino and EL students is most probably harmful to their achievement and social and emotional development. It exacerbates the existing segregation of these students, not just by school, but by classroom as well, and as other studies recently conducted in Arizona have shown, it is stigmatizing, marginalizing, and putting these students at high risk for school failure and drop out. Moreover, unlike what the Arizona Department of Education has contended, it is not moving the great majority of these students toward full English proficiency within one year, thus potentially exposing them to years of this unnecessary segregation and lack of access to the regular curriculum, pushing them further and further behind academically. Many districts in Arizona simply have not implemented the state required program and some have requested to be waived from the four-hour block for high school students "on track to graduate" because the program makes it nearly impossible for most secondary EL schools to graduate from high school with their peers. This study also finds that many research-based alternatives exist to the present program model being provided by Arizona schools, and some of these are described in the paper. Included here are discussions of sheltered English, bilingual, and dual language programs. Two-way dual language programs are especially highlighted as they have as a clear objective the integration of EL students with English speakers. Research Design: Research review and analysis. Conclusions: This review of new and extant research on linguistic isolation, the effects of segregation of English learners, and the content and practices observed in the Arizona 4 hour ELD model concludes that Arizona's program for its EL students places them at risk of school failure, delayed graduation, and negative academic self-concepts. The program also challenges the rights established in "Lau v Nichols" (1974), raising serious questions about its constitutionality. The authors conclude that Arizona should seek more effective program models to educate its EL students. [More] Descriptors: Academic Achievement, At Risk Students, Educational Opportunities, Emotional Development
(2006). The Ecology of Communicative Language Teaching: Reflecting on the Singapore Experience, Online Submission. This paper addresses the ecology of communicative language teaching (CLT) by reflecting on the Singapore experience. It reviews how CLT was conceptualized, advocated and implemented in stages/phases as reflected in the different syllabuses by the Ministry of Education, Singapore. In anchoring the discussion against a historical backdrop and examining the ecology and evolution of English language teaching in Singapore, it focuses on two English Language syllabuses published in 1991 and 2001 respectively. It illustrates the operational issues in reference to the two syllabuses, with a focus on the ecology of such pedagogical innovations and how the ecological nature of CLT is mirrored in the syllabuses. Highlighting issues such as mismatches between what the syllabus documents stipulate and what practitioners bring into English language classrooms and how success in implementation can be achieved when training is provided timely, it also discusses theory-practice connection and the integration issue that is most often debated in the teacher-education literature. It concludes with a discussion of possible implications of the Singapore CLT experience for ELT in China. [More] Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Teaching Methods, Language Teachers, English (Second Language)