This introduction to the development of bilingual/bicultural programs in Alaska features models depicting the most common basic approaches to bilingual/bicultural education. Program models included are: (1) transitional - moves the child from his native language to English by completion of third or fourth grade and does not attempt to support…

This study examined the underlying tensions between three school decision-making groups regarding the inclusion of Native cultural and language content in the curriculum of a tribally-controlled elementary school in a Canadian Anishinabek community. Except for one teacher, all members of the parent school advisory group, the tribal education…

Discusses Navajo acculturation and language loss. Argues that Navajo parents must understand the importance of their involvement in the bilingual classroom, the services and funding available to meet their children's needs, teacher skills necessary for effective bilingual classrooms, and what schools must do to optimize parental involvement in…

A British Columbian Native teacher education program is guided by a team of First Nations educators and elders, university faculty, a representative of the teacher federation, and students. Aboriginal languages are incorporated into a Native cultural studies course using a holistic approach based on the Medicine Wheel that empowers students to…

Reviews research on maintaining and revitalizing American Indian languages, focusing on the interrelationship of language and culture; Fishman's theoretical paradigm for reversing language shift; national and tribal language policies; and examples of native language instruction at the early childhood, elementary, secondary, and tribal college…

A vocabulary and list of important words in the Yurok language includes the history of a community project directed toward collecting and preserving the vanishing language and culture of Northwestern California Indians. An alphabetical vocabulary list presents English terms with Yurok equivalents in Unifon spelling and definitions in English.…

Considerations in teaching students from linguistically diverse backgrounds are outlined. The instructional program must consider: (1) the social, economic, and political circumstances of the students' families; (2) their reasons for being in the United States and the length of their residence; (3) their attitudes toward the English-speaking group…

The Interface Alaska Multifunctional Resource Center developed a model for training Native American language teachers to effectively teach Native languages. The model provides Native American paraprofessional language teachers with basic knowledge of classroom techniques and effective teaching strategies. The training introduces the Total Physical…

Project VIBES at South Shore High School in New York City is described in this report. The project is a transitional bilingual education program that emphasizes acculturation and the acquisition of English language skills while maintaining the native language and appreciation of the students' cultural heritage. As implemented in 1980-81, the…

A two-and-a-half-year study in northern Ontario (Canada) investigated the relationship between characteristics of the minority French-speaking community, home environment, and the school and classroom environments. Focus was on factors affecting the development and maintenance of cultural awareness, ethnic identity, and communicative competence in…

Three papers (1978-80) written for the non-linguistic public about Alaska Native languages are combined here. The first is an introduction to the prehistory, history, present status, and future prospects of all Alaska Native languages, both Eskimo-Aleut and Athabaskan Indian. The second and third, presented as appendixes to the first, deal in…

An Australian study developed recommendations, policies, models, and strategies for the establishment, maintenance, and evaluation of bilingual education programs in preschool and child care centers, as either full bilingual programs or bilingual components of other programs. Results are presented here. The methodology used was to describe and…

A statement of national policy on languages for Australia, submitted for government consideration in response to official concern, is presented. It begins with an introductory section on the importance of language, and then provides a rationale for national language policy formulation in Australia's varied language context. A section on policy…

David Ingram's career has traversed several decades of shifting rationale for language policy in Australia. Government and institutional initiatives have at various times favoured traditional foreign language teaching, multicultural imperatives and language diversity, concern for Asian economically strategic languages, or a focus on literacy in…

A study of language learning in Arctic Quebec examines relationships between early Inuktitut competence and later learning of English as a second language, general and local characteristics of native language competence, and early Inuktitut instruction and later competence. It also looks at the reliability of native educators' assessment of…