The Part C of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA, 2011) supports service delivery that recognizes cultural and linguistic diversity, which often involves the use of interpreters and translators, §303.321(a)(5) and 303.321(a)(6). Therefore, it is essential that early intervention/early childhood special education…

Discusses the multilingual print environment in Lebanon's streets and shops, which reflects global and local changes in environmental literacy that represent wider notions of literacy from which students may learn. Provides examples of slips and errors between languages to show how environmental literacy can be problematic. Suggests that…

Describes an Arabic distance learning course initiative. The most common distance learning formats are reviewed, and justifications for offering such courses are considered. The experiences of instructors who have pioneered the field and some basics that need to be taken into account when developing distance learning courses are presented.…

Describes the strong power of tests and the fact that tests lead to far-reaching and high stakes decisions and consequences about individuals and groups. Proposes a number of assessment strategies that are based on democratic principles. (Author/VWL)

Describes how the Spanish department at Central Michigan University began an experimental program in an attempt to address the surging Spanish enrollments. The description of the program includes quantitative and qualitative assessments that may serve as a model for other undergraduate programs of similar size. (Author/VWL)

Describes research based in one primary school in Peterborough in the English Midlands into the phenomenon of extended visits to Pakistan by pupils of Pakistani ethnic origin. Data were gathered from parents, teachers, and pupils to investigate the educational challenges and opportunities presented in the situation. (Author/VWL)

Illustrates how using repeated readings with pretend readings can provide a framework for language growth for kindergarten emergent second-language learners. Reports on a pilot study of the effectiveness of such instruction. Finds that children grew in their ability to convey meaning with more emotional expression and self-confidence. (RS)

Describes a process for rethinking resources in the English-as-a-Second-Language classroom. Rethinking resources is possible through multimodal pedagogies that recognize students as remakers and transformers of the representational resources available to them. (Author/VWL)

Describes an instructional model that promotes students' mastery of academic subject matter and language skills and develops respectful camaraderie between English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and non-ESL instructors. (Author/VWL)

Describes a study comparing the translation of cognates from French into English by more-and less skilled bilinguals. More-skilled bilinguals experienced significantly greater translation intervals than less-skilled bilinguals, suggesting that a new model unique to the cognate must be considered. (Author/VWL)

Describes one teacher's success with using "Harry Potter" in a program to teach elementary school English language learners. Provides comprehension strategies incorporated to help learners understand the story. Highlights the importance of creating a classroom environment with a low level of anxiety, the implications of the program, and the value…

Describes the teaching principles of Catalan as a second language, applied by two teachers in an immersion program. Discusses results of an analysis based on an approach called "teacher thinking." The viewpoints of the teachers have allowed the researchers to define teaching principles of Catalan, or the general strategies that the…

Describes approaches taken by the Anne Arundel County, Maryland public schools to connect with English language learners' families at home. These include hiring bilingual parent outreach liaisons, workshops for parents, parent interest surveys, and online translation of school forms. (Author/VWL)

Describes two grammaticality judgment tasks--one in French and one in English--developed based on differences between the two languages vis-a-vis middle constructions. The tasks were administered to Anglopone and Francophone advanced and very advanced learners of their second language, and to unilingual groups with the same first languages.…

Describes five basic elements that need to be considered with every test: backwash; reliability, administrative concerns; validity; and ethics. These elements are discussed in relation to tests for students who are second language learners of English. (Author/VWL)