Graduate students face a fundamental change in identity when transitioning from undergraduate writers to graduate writers. In their new role as graduate writers and researchers, they must move from consuming knowledge to producing knowledge through their writing. Often, they must learn new genres of writing, new disciplinary conventions, and new…

The Fresno (California) Unified School District has one of the highest poverty levels in the nation. The district is made up of approximately 84% Hispanic students, and 70% of their parents speak only Spanish in the home. Many students have difficulty passing the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE), which is required to receive a…

"Armadillo Ray," by John Beifuss, is the tale of a young, curious armadillo who wants to know what the moon is. He is joined in his quest by snakes, prairie dogs, sage grouse, and owls. The beauty of the book is its simplicity, illustrations and landscapes, and its potential links to reading, geography, science, and mathematics. In this…

There are increasing numbers of children with little or no English entering English speaking mainstream lessons. This often leaves them with unique frustrations due to limited English language proficiency and disorientation. Teachers often feel unable to cater sufficiently for these new arrivals. "Teaching English as an Additional Language Ages…

Learning at school is a complex process of socialisation into selected and valued practices of a society. As children and students progress through levels of education, they are instructed in increasingly specialised cultural practices defined in the curriculum as subjects. This paper describes subject-specific teachers working with…

In this article, the author discovers the cultural challenges and rewards of starting a center for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). When she became the principal of a middle school outside of Baltimore, MD, she learned that her first year would also be the school's first year as a middle school English for speakers of other…

Narrowing the achievement gap between students who are native English speakers and those learning English as a second language is one of the biggest challenges facing U.S. educators. This article discusses the approaches used by the Saint Paul (Minn.) Public Schools in narrowing this achievement gap. Saint Paul (Minn.) Public Schools has one of…

Examines secondary-level Spanish speakers' linguistic needs, highlighting foreign-language teachers' roles. The article outlines a model of acquisition that integrates student development in Spanish with acquisition of English, reviews theories of instruction, describes exemplary programs, discusses unique assessment needs, and analyzes the…

Discusses four components of the classroom environment found to play an important role in the successful participation of children learning English as a second language. Those components are: a physical environment that is organized, inviting, and accessible; inclusion of materials and artifacts from many cultures; opportunities for community…

A project in which seasoned immigrant students developed guidelines for the use of incoming non-English speaking immigrant students for a bilingual Korean and English text is described. The guidelines were used for orientation and follow-up discussions about school and language attitudes. (SW)

Recommends eight strategies schools and individual teachers can use to best meet the needs of immigrant students, particularly East Asian students, in English as a Second Language (ESL) programs. Discusses program design, teacher training and cooperation, learning styles and teaching styles, individual background and needs, peer acceptance issues,…

Written for teachers, coordinators, and supervisors, this manual describes the structural content of Project SELEP (Survival Skills in English Learning Experience Program). It indicates areas of concern in planning, establishing, and evaluating classes emphasizing survival skills for daily living appropriate for the foreign born adult in an…