This annotated bibliography is reformatted and customized by the Center for Positive Practices. Some of the authors featured on this page include Elias Perez Perez, Jane Stuart-Smith, Keith E. Nelson, Julio F. Madrigal, Sarah Cohen, Michael Rosanova, Paul Watanabe, Charles W. Stansfield, Ardith O. Pierce, and Clinton Robinson.
(1998). Maya Education and Pan Maya Ideology in the Yucatan, Cultural Survival Quarterly. A University of Yucatan (Mexico) professor who taught a Mayan linguistics course to indigenous teachers in Mayan discusses three issues that are central to understanding how indigenous education interacts with pan-Maya identity: the importance of locally developed Maya literature, the symbols used to define Maya culture, and a conflict over Maya culture as uniform or pluralistic. Descriptors: American Indian Education, Bilingual Education, Bilingual Teachers, Cultural Maintenance
(1998). Toward a Differentiated Account of Facilitators of Literacy Development and ASL in Deaf Children, Topics in Language Disorders. This commentary reviews the articles in this theme issue and analyzes American Sign Language (ASL) bilingual approaches to supporting children with deafness in acquiring English text skills. Also discussed are theoretical explanations for how bilingual contexts may contribute to progress in English literacy and spoken English. Issues for the future are addressed. Descriptors: American Sign Language, Bilingual Education, Bilingualism, Deafness
(1998). Early Childhood Bilingualism in the Montessori Children's House: Guessable Context and the Planned Environment. Spotlight: Montessori–Multilingual, Multicultural, Montessori Life. Describes the InterCultura Montessori School language immersion program in Oak Park, Illinois. Profiles the work of several children to illustrate important language learning strategies. Recommends that language immersion programs include: survival vocabulary skills; repetition of key grammatical forms; use of objects, pictures, and dramatization; group readings; buddies/helpers; message and listening centers; and use of prior knowledge. Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Early Childhood Education, Immersion Programs, Montessori Method
(1998). Indigenous Rights and Schooling in Highland Chiapas, Cultural Survival Quarterly. Educational reforms in Mexico to preserve indigenous linguistic and cultural rights often originate in Mexico City and lack grassroots support. Although native language instruction improves literacy development and preserves culture, Native parents may reject it because Spanish is the language of status. However, some indigenous communities in Chiapas recently replaced government teachers with local community educators. Descriptors: American Indian Education, Bilingual Education, Cultural Maintenance, Culturally Relevant Education
(1998). The Unz/Tuchman "English for Children" Initiative: A New Attack on Immigrant Children and the Schools, Multicultural Education. Criticizes the Unz/Tuchman "English for Children" initiative (R. Unz) a proposal that would place limited-English-speaking children in California together, regardless of age or academic abilities, for one year of intensive English instruction and no instruction in academic subjects before returning them to regular classes. Discusses the dangers of this approach. Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Students, Elementary Secondary Education, English (Second Language)
(1998). Economic Approaches to Language and Bilingualism. New Canadian Perspectives. Six essays on the links between official languages and the economy in Canada include: "An Economic Analysis of Language" (Albert Breton); "The Economics of Language in a Virtually Integrated Global Economy" (Richard G. Harris); "Speak and Ye Shall Receive: Language Knowledge as Human Capital" (Krishna Pendakur, Ravi Pendakur); "Bilingualism and Earnings: A Study Based on 1971, 1981, and 1991 Census Data" (Louis N. Christofides, Robert Swidinsky); "Bilingualism in Employee Recruitment and the Role of Symbolic Analysts in Leading Export-Oriented Firms" (Harold Chorney); and "The Contributions of a Minority to its Region: The Case of the Acadians in New Brunswick's South East" (Maurice Beaudin). [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingualism, Economic Factors, Economics
(1998). Finding the "Right Measure" of Explanation for Young Latina/o Writers, Language Arts. Describes a second-grade teacher-researcher's efforts to foster her Latino/a students' growth in writing. Focuses on her strategies (sometimes successful, sometimes not) to make the tacit aspects of writing explicit to her bilingual students via classroom talk. Searches for the right measure of explanation in two areas: fostering revision and genre distinctions. Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Classroom Communication, Classroom Research, Grade 2
(1998). Counseling in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region. Residents of the U. S.-Mexico border region have the immense task of reconciling two different and often incompatible cultures, traditions, and languages. The cultural and environmental conditions of the South Texas border region are briefly described, and economic and social conditions are reviewed. The unique counseling needs of borderlanders of Mexican descent are identified and discussed. In order to properly provide counseling services to "fronterizos," mental health professionals must be bilingual and must understand the socioeconomic factors of the area and the social dynamics between the two nations. The counselor is confronted by challenges of counseling bilingual clients in two languages, differences of culture within each of the language or national traditions, high rates of substance abuse, violence, and depression, and the not always smooth transformation of traditions from the past. Assets of the region include a strong emphasis on family and personal relationships. Specific issues for school, college, mental health, and substance abuse counselors are highlighted; education opportunities and issues are reviewed. The counseling professional "en la frontera" can facilitate the process of a client developing a strong bicultural identity that effectively weaves together the fabrics of the two cultures. [More] Descriptors: Biculturalism, Bilingual Education, Code Switching (Language), Counseling
(1998). Outreach to Future Hispanic Educational Leaders. This paper discusses issues related to the recruitment of Hispanic-American educational leaders, focusing on the El Centro de Recursos Educativos outreach center at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, which began operation in Fall 1997. It examines the characteristics of successful programs for Hispanic recruitment and retention and the demographics of the Hispanic student population. Among other things, the El Centro program offers courses taught bilingually in Spanish and English and a new, 36-credit school leadership master's degree for teachers. The paper outlines current recruitment strategies for Hispanic students and teachers and recommends the following strategies: (1) public service announcements; (2) direct Hispanic community contacts; (3) professional bilingual publications; (4) written notifications to school districts; (5) delivering information through teachers' school meetings; (6) using the Internet; (7) using current students as recruiters; and (8) open house events. Current challenges and future directions of the program are also addressed. (Contains 20 references.) [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, Community Involvement, Cultural Differences, Higher Education
(1998). Foreign Language Learning with a Difference, Language Learning Journal. Contrasts a bilingual Austrian school, which has German-speaking and English-speaking students and German and English as equal languages of instruction, with an independent school in the United Kingdom where German is taught intensively to students of all age groups. Focuses on the status of foreign languages, teacher recruitment, teaching approaches, materials, and assessment. Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Students, Elementary Secondary Education, English
(1998). Which Language for Teaching? The Cultural Messages Transmitted by the Languages Used in Education, Language and Education. Addresses the question of mother-tongue education of children, especially in francophone countries of Africa. It seeks to contribute to the debate on the integration of local languages into educational systems in multilingual settings by stressing the opposing cultural messages carried by official and indigenous languages. Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Cultural Differences, Elementary Secondary Education, Foreign Countries
(1998). English Language Learners and State Assessments. All states are addressing the problems of accommodations for English Language Learners (ELL's) in state assessment systems, but Massachusetts is noteworthy for the way in which it handles this problem. Since the early 1980s, over 40 states have created a statewide assessment program. Testing in these states is typically modeled on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. ELL's, sometimes called limited English proficient students, have traditionally been exempted from state assessments and other standardized tests. Since no data on their achievement was available, reports often provided a skewed picture of how students in schools and districts were progressing. This policy, usually designed to protect ELL's from the unpleasantness of taking a test for which they were not prepared, has had a negative impact on educational equity for language minority students. As a result, there has been a move to incorporate ELL's into state assessments. States are beginning to modify assessment programs, usually through test accommodations that include extra time, clarifying directions, flexible scheduling, and the use of bilingual dictionaries and glossaries. Native language testing is useful when the student is literate in the native language. Massachusetts has translated all its tests, except Language Arts, to Spanish and uses specialized scoring involving pairs of bilingual and subject content teachers (consensus scoring) through a system developed by Second Language Testing, Inc. Issues related to students who are not literate in Spanish or English proficient are still in the process of resolution, but problems can be worked out with time and attention. Massachusetts plans to use its Grade 10 assessment as a graduation examination, and it is considering how to best accommodate ELL's for this examination. (Contains two references.) [More] Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Elementary Secondary Education, English (Second Language), Equal Education
(1998). Introducing Foreign Languages in Elementary School, Principal. By pooling resources, an elementary school desiring to add Spanish instruction to its curriculum and a university exploring ways to enhance the preparation of bilingual/ESL teachers found a solution: a K-5 Spanish-language program staffed by prospective bilingual and second-language teachers from Washington State University. Begun in 1994, the Companeros program provides Spanish instruction for all the school's students. Descriptors: Bilingual Education, College School Cooperation, Elementary Education, FLES
(1998). Exploring Bilingual Children's Perceptions of Being Bilingual and Biliterate: Implications for Educational Provision, British Journal of Sociology of Education. Explores feelings of bilingual children toward developing two languages, two literacies, and belonging to two communities within an English educational system that is insensitive to bilingual learners. Shows that bilingual children express their feelings differently in both languages, and indicates the educational implications of these results for educational policy and practice. Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Students, Educational Environment, Educational Policy
(1998). Conflict and Convergence: Race, Public Opinion and Political Behavior in Massachusetts. The University of Massachusetts McCormack Institute Poll. An Occasional Paper. The University of Massachusetts McCormack Institute Poll of attitudes and opinions related to the political, economic, and social life of Massachusetts was expanded in 1998 to include a larger sample of minority respondents than in previous years. In 1998, the sample included 127 African Americans, 114 Asian Americans, 107 Latinos, and 381 Whites. The rapidly changing racial and ethnic diversity of Massachusetts was regarded as a "good thing" by a large proportion of all groups. Minority group members were less likely than Whites to think that things were getting better for minorities, and they were more likely to agree that there was a long way to go before minorities (specifically African Americans) have the same chance in life White people have. Thirty-three percent of African Americans, thirty-one percent of Latinos, and twenty-five percent of Asian Americans reported that they had a personal experience with discrimination during the last 3 months. African Americans and Latinos considered crime the most important issue, with schools/education the second most important social issue. Asian Americans thought schools were the most important issue, as did Whites. A majority of all groups indicated support for affirmative action. Respondents differed dramatically when asked whether schools should teach only in English or in some cases in a language other than English. Sixty-one percent of Whites supported English only, but eighty-one percent of Latinos favored instruction in other languages as well. Among Asian Americans, responses were split fairly evenly. There was general agreement among all groups that standardized tests for high school graduates are desirable. Almost half of all Whites expressed a great deal of confidence in the public schools, but responses of other groups were less favorable. Other questions involved the role of government, confidence in institutions, political participation and citizenship, and partisan identification and ideology. An appendix contains the poll questionnaire. (Contains 17 graphs.) [More] Descriptors: Affirmative Action, Attitudes, Beliefs, Bilingual Education