Suleiman, Mahmoud F.; Moore, Rock (1995). Figures of Speech, Symbolism and the Communicative Process in the Multilingual Classrooms. The increasing linguistic and cultural diversity of U.S. public schools requires teachers to be more sensitive to how symbols and figures of speech are used to maintain an effective cross-cultural communication. The purpose of this paper is to address and discuss the role of sociocultural factors that shape the insights and perspectives of diverse students in the process of interacting with others. Diverse students come to the classroom with a limited view of the use of English figures of speech and language symbols; they also employ culturally-bound symbols and figures of speech that cause miscommunication in the target language. Teachers need to foster a classroom environment where these symbolic differences are taken into consideration. They also need to create conditions that promote effective use of symbols and figures of speech. These conditions involve valuing linguistic and cultural diversity, contextualizing learning tasks and activities, and utilizing language functions to maintain meaningful interaction. Moreover, classroom pedagogy should center around empowering the students to communicate creatively in a more culturally sensitive environment. Finally, teachers should encourage students to use figures of speech to communicate their unique meanings to others in the learning environment in order to promote more cross-cultural understanding in diverse classrooms. (Contains 25 references.)   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Communication (Thought Transfer), Cross Cultural Studies, Cultural Differences

Lemberger, Nancy (1996). How a Spanish Bilingual Teacher Builds Community in a Mien Bilingual Class. This paper presents a narrative describing a Spanish/English bilingual teacher's experience in building a validating community for Mien students and their parents in the classroom and the larger school context. The larger study of which this one is a part drew from teacher research, teacher narrative, and teacher voice. Data were collected through interviews with bilingual teachers with interesting tales to tell regarding their personal and professional experiences in bilingual classes. Topics covered in this narrative include student histories; their immigration experiences; class structure and discussion techniques; parental involvement and parent-teacher relationships; course content; community support; and school governance. This teacher collaborated with parents and other members of the community to teach the Mien language to the children and enable parents to teach what was important to their children. Her ability to form a community of learners came from her deep respect for the children and their parents. It is concluded that a hard-working, creative teacher can effect positive change in the classroom, but for a change to endure, the school culture needs broad-based support mechanisms. (Contains 16 references.)   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Teachers, Change Agents, Class Activities

Carger, Chris Liska (1996). Of Borders and Dreams: A Mexican-American Experience of Urban Education. The story of Alejandro Juarez, Jr., a Mexican American youth, and his family's experiences in the parochial and public schools of Chicago (Illinois) portrays the problems that bilingual and bicultural children and their parents face. A further dimension was added by Alejandro's learning problems, which further complicated an already complex and frustrating relationship with the school system. The story begins when Alejandro is a shy and sweet fifth grader struggling with English and reading. As he progressed through school, from the parochial elementary school to a public high school, he encountered stereotyping and bias, difficulties with language, and the complications of his own difficulties with learning that made his school life even harder than the lives of his siblings.  The support his family and his elementary school English-as-a-Second-Language teacher offered him were enough to keep Alejandro in school to a point. His eventual dropping out demonstrates that the devotion of a family is not enough when the school system is so filled with obstacles. (Contains 62 references.) Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Catholic Schools, Cultural Differences, Disadvantaged Youth

Mace, Jane, Ed. (1995). Literacy, Language and Community Publishing. Essays in Adult Education. This book contains an introduction and 11 essays describing reading and writing projects in which adult literacy learners enrolled in the following types of programs participated: adult literacy and/or language classes, refugee groups, oral history and reminiscence projects, and community publishing and writing workshops. The following essays are included: "Introduction" (Mace); "Sailing out from Safe Harbours: Writing for Publishing in Adult Basic Education" (Fitzpatrick); "Can't, Won't or Don't: Readers and Writers in Adult Education" (O'Rourke); "Working with Words: Active Learning in a Community Writing and Publishing Group" (Hayler, Thomson); "'You Can't Write Until You Can Spell!': Attitudes to Writing amongst Adult Basic Education Students" (Wallis); "Working on Writing with Refugees" (Sunderland); "Writers in Search of an Audience: Taking Writing from Personal to Public" (Duffin); "Reminiscence as Literacy: Intersections and Creative Moments" (Mace); "Disappearing Language: Fragments and Fractures between Speech and Writing" (Harris); "Controlling or Empowering? Writing through a Scribe in Adult Basic Education" (Moss); "Oral History and Bilingual Publishing" (Kyriacou); and "Improving on the Blank Page" (Taylor). A subject index is included. Descriptors: Adult Basic Education, Adult Literacy, Adult Programs, Bilingual Education

Roman, Elliott M. (1994). Staff Development for Pedagogues in Bilingual Math and Science Programs, 1993-94. Final Evaluation Report. OER Report. Staff Development for Pedagogues in Bilingual Math and Science provided two thematically-based workshops to 40 New York City science teachers who taught students of limited English proficiency (LEP) citywide. Workshops emphasized successful teaching strategies as well as psychological aspects involved in teaching LEP students. The project also provided research articles and monographs about the latest techniques in teaching science. Analysis of participants' responses to a questionnaire found that almost all respondents were highly satisfied with all aspects of the workshops: content, mode of preservation, and materials used. In addition, although the required data were unavailable, it appeared that the students of participating teachers performed as well as similar students citywide on the Regents Competency Tests (RCTs) in science. The project met its objectives for staff satisfaction with workshops and documentation of strategies learned. It was impossible to evaluate fully the objective for RCT in science passing rate, but the project came very close to meeting that part of the objective for which data were available. The conclusions, based on the findings of the evaluation, led to the recommendation that a compilation of the materials developed should be made available and distributed to other science teachers of LEP students.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Teachers, Faculty Development, High Schools

Oromaner, Mark (1995). A Research Note on a Deviant Case: The Majority Enrollment of Full-Time Students at HCCC. Data Report No. 95.03. Since the fall of 1979, over 50% of the student population at Hudson County Community College (HCCC), in New Jersey, has attended on a full-time basis, with 62% of fall 1994 students attending full-time. This characteristic makes HCCC a deviant case among community colleges where the nationwide average of full-time enrollment status is only 36%. A comparison of characteristics for HCCC's part- and full-time students for fall 1994 indicated that there were no significant differences in gender, that Hispanic students were more likely than white students to enroll full-time, and that as student age increased the percentage of full-time students decreased. The fact that 70% of the Hispanic students were attending full-time suggests that enrollment in English as a Second Language (ESL) and bilingual courses may play a role in the college's high full-time percentages. Hispanic students accounted for 47% of HCCC's total fall 1994 enrollment and represented 80% of students enrolled in ESL/bilingual courses. An analysis of fall 1994 matriculated students in three groups (i.e., ESL, basic skills, and fully program-ready) indicated that 56% of the program-ready students were enrolled full-time, while 78% of the basic skills and 89% of the ESL students were. Large full-time enrollments in these two groups may also account for the full-time enrollment percentages at the college.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, College Attendance, Community Colleges, Comparative Analysis

Wallace, Cyril (1994). Project Progreso. Evaluation Report, 1993-94. OER Report. This report describes Project Progreso, a federally funded project that served 240 Spanish-speaking students of limited English proficiency in special education Modified Instructional Service classes in kindergarten through sixth grade in the Bronx, New York. Participating students received instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL), native language arts (NLA), and content area subjects. The main project goal was to promote the acquisition of native and English language skills, which were assessed by standardized tests. Six paraprofessionals and 22 teachers of participating students were offered monthly staff development activities consisting of inservice programs and classroom consultations. Additional project activities included referral to ESL and General Education Diploma classes for parents and parent advisory committees. A Likert-type questionnaires were used to evaluate staff development and parent education activities. Students met objectives for content area subjects, but did not meet project objectives for ESL and NLA. Teachers increased skills and knowledge. Appendices include: a list of 298 student and staff instructional materials with grade level, publisher, and date, and staff and parent questionnaires.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Elementary Education, English (Second Language), Hispanic American Students

Sahaf, Ali Reza (1994). Language Identity and Social Behaviour: A Sociocultural Approach to the Study of the Concept "Will" on the Effectiveness of the "How's" and "Why's" of Bilingualism. Linkoping Studies in Education and Psychology No. 42. This study examined the problems of bilingualism among 28 Iranian students in Swedish schools, focusing on sociocultural influences of the majority culture on the minority group and their effects on the students' perceptions and educational outcomes. The students and 35 native-language teachers were observed and interviewed in their work contexts for three years. Toward the end of the study, essay tests were administered to 20 of the students in upper secondary school. Results are presented in the form of major findings from the literature survey; findings concerning the study's methodology and the model used for analysis; and findings from the data gathered, presented separately for observations; discussions with teachers; and student essays. Issues discussed in these summaries include: influences of the majority and minority language cultures on Iranian students' behaviors; values and belief systems; family role; cultural isolation; levels of home language activity and maintenance; and community role. A major conclusion is that three factors: language, cultural co-existence, and equilibrium within the social system, are highly interdependent. Implications for practitioners are discussed. Contains 13 pages of references.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingualism, Cultural Awareness, Cultural Context

Barreto, Ramona Maile (1996). Diverse Teacher Candidates' Critiques of Multicultural/Bilingual Teacher Preparation: Insights and Implications. This study examined California's new system of bilingual and cross cultural teacher preparation, its implementation, and teacher candidates' reception of it. The new system, referred to as (B)CLAD, consists of two credentials for preservice teachers and two certificates for inservice teachers: the Cross Cultural Language and Academic Development, and the Bilingual Crosscultural Language and Academic Development. The study focused on the introduction of these new standards for teachers of diverse students at a large research university in Southern California; the implementation process; and teacher candidates' and teacher educators' narrative practices, perceptions, and interpretations, using ethnographic case study methods. In-depth interviews with eight preservice teachers in the program indicated that the teacher candidates demonstrated awareness of the program's main focus as articulated by the teacher educators and that potential tension existed between this focus and the opinions of some candidates. The candidates appeared to agree regarding the teacher educators' generally ineffective modeling of the principles and theories they taught in the program. While the faculty's social reconstructionist commitment is one of their greatest strengths, it is also a potential source of weakness as its strong focus on the principles being taught may not encourage self-reflection on pedagogical practices. Limited time was identified as the primary practical constraint to the program, as well as lack of communication among the program's teacher educators. The findings suggested that the program would be strengthened by including and encouraging self-reflection processes for both teacher educators and students. (Contains 53 references.)   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Case Studies, College Students, Constructivism (Learning)

Boloz, Sigmund A. (1994). The GLAD Project Evaluation Summary: 1994 Report. This report evaluates the Ganado Learning Arts Development Project (GLAD), a program implemented at the Ganado Primary School in Arizona. The school serves K-2 students from the Navajo reservation and emphasizes integration of traditional Navajo teachings and culture with Western knowledge. The report covers the following data: (1) student average attendance (1980-1994); (2) student enrollment and enrollment projections by year and by grade (1985-1994); (3) student turnover rates and reasons given for student withdrawal (1989-1992); (4) Language Assessment Scale scores indicating students' level of English language proficiency (1987-1994); (5) limited English proficiency (LEP) status of students (1993-1994); (6) Navajo/English proficiency student distribution (1992); (7) student socioeconomic status (1994); (8) a study analyzing LEP speaker profiles for second grade students broken down by community (1985); (9) average scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and the Gates MacGinitie Reading Test (1986-1991); (10) data from the at-home student reading program (1991-1994); (11) impact on students' reading and writing skills of staff training in the Collaborative Literacy Intervention Project (CLIP) (1992-1994); (12) communities served by the school (1990); (13) parent survey concerning demographic information (1988-1993); (14) level of parent participation in school workshops and activities (1985-1993); (15) teacher perceptions of parental involvement (1991-1994); (16) results of parent surveys concerning the GLAD Project for the years 1985-1992); (17) staff attendance levels (1984-1993); (18) professional leave time for staff development (1990-1993); (19) results of the Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile completed by staff (1989); (20) number of staff who have taken university course work (1985-1993); (21) staff turnover rates (1987-1994); and (22) number of ESL and bilingual staff endorsements (1989-1994). The report also includes letter of accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; program implementation reports for 1993-1994; and a site visit report from the CLIP project. Contains many data tables.   [More]  Descriptors: Academic Achievement, American Indian Culture, American Indian Education, Attendance

Valencia, Richard R., Ed. (1993). Chicano School Failure and Success: Research and Policy Agendas for the 1990s. The Stanford Series on Education and Public Policy. This book examines the school failure and success of Chicano students from a wide variety of perspectives. It attempts to promote further understanding of what constitutes, maintains, and helps shape school failure among Chicano students, and to present research and policy agendas that may help to realize Chicano school success. Five sections address current realities of the Chicano schooling experience, language and classroom perspectives on Chicano achievement, cultural and familial perspectives on achievement, educational testing and special education issues, and the big picture and Chicano school failure. Chapters are: (1) "The Plight of Chicano Students: An Overview of Schooling Conditions and Outcomes" (Richard R. Valencia); (2) "Segregation, Desegregation, and Integration of Chicano Students: Problems and Prospects" (Ruben Donato, Martha Menchaca, Richard R. Valencia); (3) "Chicano Dropouts: A Review of Research and Policy Issues" (Russell W. Rumberger); (4) "Bilingualism, Second Language Acquisition, and the Education of Chicano Language Minority Students" (Eugene E. Garcia); (5) "Promoting School Success for Chicanos: The View from Inside the Bilingual Classroom" (Barbara J. Merino); (6) "From Failure to Success: The Roles of Culture and Cultural Conflict in the Academic Achievement of Chicano Students" (Henry T. Trueba); (7) "Cognitive Socialization and Competence: The Academic Development of Chicanos" (Luis M. Laosa, Ronald W. Henderson); (8) "The Uses and Abuses of Educational Testing: Chicanos as a Case in Point" (Richard R. Valencia, Sofia Aburto); (9) "An Analysis of Special Education as a Response to the Diminished Academic Achievement of Chicano Students" (Robert Rueda); (10) "Systemic and Institutional Factors in Chicano School Failure" (Arthur Pearl); and (11) "Conclusions: Towards Chicano School Success" (Richard R. Valencia). This book contains references in each chapter, 30 data tables and figures, notes on contributors, and author and subject indexes.   [More]  Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Academic Failure, Bilingual Education, Culture Conflict

Rueda, Robert; Garcia, Erminda (1994). Teachers' Beliefs about Reading Assessment with Latino Language Minority Students. Research Report: 9. A study investigated the attitudes and beliefs of three groups of third- and fourth-grade classroom teachers (special education pull-out, bilingual credentialed, and bilingual waivered, n=18 per group) concerning the reading assessment of Latino language minority students. Data were gathered from semi-structured interviews, a written questionnaire, classroom observation, and analysis of documents and classroom products related to assessment. Results show, in general, a discrepancy between the beliefs of these teachers and those underlying many of the new educational initiatives in assessment and instruction. In addition, clear differences between the groups were found, with the special education teachers' attitudes most removed from these pedagogical developments. Variance in teacher beliefs and practices occurred both within groups and within individuals, with few cases in which beliefs and practices were entirely consistent. These findings imply that educational reform will require not only a change in practices, but also adoption of a fundamentally different paradigmatic belief system. Contains 83 references.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Bilingual Teachers, Comparative Analysis, Elementary Education

McNeely, Sharon (1996). Title VII Special Alternative Grant BRIDGES: Collaborative Teaching in Bilingual and ESL Project Evaluation 1994-1995. This document presents evaluation results for Cicero Public School District 99 for the Illinois Title VII Special Alternative Program Grant for the 1994-1995 school year. This was the first year of funding of the special alternative grant and the BRIDGES program, which provided collaborative teams of bilingual and English-as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers to develop means to support each other and their students and the parents of their students through training, collaboration, and development of materials and resources. One of the main purposes of the program was to develop the student's literacy skills in English, mathematics, and science. The evaluation demonstrated that the project was successful in meeting its major goal of developing collaborative teams of bilingual and ESL teachers. The timing of the grant and report deadlines did not allow for collection of data to indicate that literacy skills, science skills, and mathematics skills increased among students whose teachers engaged in the collaboration, but ongoing evaluation will address these concerns. Data collected so far indicate that teachers were using new strategies, developing new materials, and receiving training. Data also established that parents received training and resources. BRIDGES worked with 40 elementary school teachers in 9 schools, each of whom had about 30 students. Recommendations for program improvement are made on the assumption that the school district will apply for future funding and will attempt to document student outcomes.   [More]  Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Bilingual Education, Cooperation, Elementary Education

Patthey-Chavez, G. Genevieve; And Others (1995). Creating a Community of Scholarship with Instructional Conversations in a Transitional Bilingual Classroom. Educational Practice Report No. 15. This report explores ways in which instructional conversations between a teacher and her students contributed to building an academic community in a transitional bilingual fourth-grade classroom. Through an analysis of reading lesson transcripts, classroom events, and student essays and journal assignments, the report shows how classroom experiences fostered the development of students' understanding of the concepts of sacrifice and responsibility. It describes how, at both the individual and the classroom community levels, instructional conversations deepened student understandings of the texts they read in class by encouraging students to make connections between particular text concepts and their own experiences. In addition to tracking student gains in understanding, the study shows how the conversations helped build a classroom community that incorporated the cultural beliefs and concerns of the students.   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education, Case Studies, Classroom Communication, Classroom Environment

Deering, Paul D.; And Others (1994). The Cooperative Reading Project: A Collaboration with Teachers To Examine and Improve upon Cooperative Learning in Literacy Instruction. This paper presents some of the overall findings of the Cooperative Reading Project (CRP), a collaboration between six teachers in a bilingual Spanish/English elementary school and a team of university researchers to examine and improve upon cooperative learning literacy instruction. The CRP took a social constructivist learning stance toward cooperative learning as well as toward professional development of teachers. The project focused on teachers' thinking and its relation to their classroom actions and students' attitudes and learning. Teachers participated in ongoing, collaborative staff development meetings, and each developed a personal instructional refinement agenda. Data was gathered through teacher and student interviews, instructional observations, and a pre-, mid-, and post-intervention written assessment of student literacy strategy use and motivational orientation, using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. The study found that students showed increases in liking for cooperative learning and, in the lower elementary grades, in metacognitive knowledge. The findings suggest that a collaborative, social constructivist perspective on teacher change can contribute to significant changes in instruction. An appendix contains sample responses of students' awareness of conditional knowledge. (Contains 33 references.)   [More]  Descriptors: Bilingual Education Programs, College School Cooperation, Cooperative Learning, Cooperative Programs