Using comparative data from two Navajo community-school contexts, this article details the conditions within these and similar contexts that enable schools to authentically use and validate the local language. Six social engineering strategies are presented as a means to build dual-language programs. (seven references) (MDM)

Discusses the ways in which various American Indian community schools and programs have addressed the concept of language and cultural maintenance and renewal, focusing on the role of bilingual programs, classroom interactions, community involvement, and indigenous teachers. The perspectives of the Yupik Indians on indigenous education are…

Discusses language policy in Quebec, reviewing the rise of French as the dominant language in the province, the maintenance and promotion of heritage languages and cultures in public and private schools, and three initiatives to promote second-language study (parent-child classes for immigrants, French language courses for adults, and school…

Mail survey, telephone survey, and keeping time were compared as methods of assessing teaching time for 74 sixth grade teachers teaching language in the Netherlands. Results suggest that each of the three methods can be used to assess the mean total score, but none can assess individual scores. (SLD)

A 1996 literature review of 75 "methodologically acceptable" studies concluded that bilingual education was not beneficial. A reexamination of the literature review found only 11 studies that actually were methodologically acceptable. The application of metaanalysis to those 11 studies shows that at least some native language instruction is…

Reviews the limited research on language and literacy instruction of Mexican-American secondary students. Emerging themes indicate that secondary bilingual programs are few; English-as-a-Second-Language is the most widely used approach for developing language skills; schools that are effective with limited-English-speaking students use more…

The English article system presents many problems for non-native speakers of English, particularly when they do not have an equivalent structure in their first language. Different approaches to the teaching of articles have attempted to overcome this problem. By encouraging students to address the notion of countability and to identify specific…

In this article, the authors describe the results of research that explored how Proposition 227--a measure that mandates English immersion instruction for all English language learners--has affected bilingual teachers at varying points in their professional development. The perspectives of preservice, novice and veteran bilingual teachers offer…

In this article, the author shares vocabulary development activities for young learners. These activities channel students' energy and make learning more effective and fun. The author stresses the importance of giving young learners a good language-learning experience, and the challenges of teaching young learners who are not literate in their L1.…

Many U.S. students speak nonstandard forms of English, yet dialect issues are slighted in teacher education programs and literacy courses. In this study, classroom teachers who spoke Standard American English (SE) were familiarized with seven syntactic features characterizing African American English (AAE). Three approaches to instruction based on…

While defining a heritage language (HL) learner is problematic, it is critical for how HL issues are framed. Underrepresented in the discussion are those learners who identify the HL as key to their development of self identity while having limited exposure to the HL in the home environment. This study investigates such students in the context of…

Over the years, the author has observed the vicious cycle that undermines the effectiveness of and access to good basic education in her own village and family, and in poor rural areas in general. Located in one of the most deprived areas of rural Ghana, there is a huge "reality gap" between school and children's everyday lives. The weak…

This report summarizes Austin Independent School District's prekindergarten program for the 2007-2008 school year.

Project Cuatro Casas was an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII-funded project in its first year in 1993-94. The project operated at one high school in the Bronx (New York) and served 1,074 students of limited English proficiency. Participating students received instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL); native language arts;…

The Alternative Learning Methodologies through Academics Project (Project ALMA) was an Elementary and Secondary Education Act Title VII-funded project in its fourth year of operation in two high schools in Queens and the Bronx (New York). The program served 436 Spanish-speaking students, most of whom were of limited English proficiency.…