Language diversity should be viewed as an asset to schools rather than a liability. Educators should capitalize on the situation and adapt early by developing a bilingual education program. Three levels of decision-making are discussed, with alternatives and criteria described for each. (1) Program decision-making involves a range of choice from…

This guide to designing an effective second language instructional program in the public schools provides parents, community leaders, and school personnel with practical guidelines for reviewing current foreign language instructional programs and for introducing changes in the curriculum that are in line with the emphasis on communication. An…

The intent of this paper is to synthesize portions of the African American dialect literature that have relevance for designing, implementing, and evaluating school-based language programs for African American dialect speakers, and also to suggest guidelines for developing such programs. Because the issues reflect divergency and controversy, it is…

Arizona's state policy concerning foreign language education is outlined. The document begins with a state board of education policy statement, followed by a statement of philosophy concerning the objectives and general content of language instruction. Economic, social, and educational principles underlying the rationale for language education are…

The bilingual education program in a given community should be based on a sociolinguistic assessment of that community, and community members should be involved in assessing the surrounding bilingual reality and in deciding whether they wish to mirror that reality in the biliteracy program. This paper presents alternatives for bilingual programs…

The curriculum guide for Ohio's secondary level programs in English as a second language (ESL) begins with background information on factors to consider in developing an ESL curriculum, including limited-English-proficient students' characteristics, the language acquisition process, skill areas to be covered, instructional goals for four major…

The kit is intended for teachers beginning to teach English as a Second Language (ESL). The first part offers some ideas for testing, registering, and placing students according to their needs and goals. A sample registration form, placement test, list of commercially-available tests, and sample needs assessments are included here. The second…

The handbook is designed as a practical reference for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teachers, curriculum developers, teacher trainers, and student teachers. It provides basic information on the background of ESL programs and current information on publications, standards, and special materials for elementary and secondary school ESL. It does…

This document contains 123 papers from an international conference on vocational education and training (VET) for lifelong learning in the information era. The papers focus on the following themes: (1) societal and ethical issues; (2) human resource development and personnel training; (3) international issues; (4) information technology in VET;…