Information is presented about parent involvement in general and, specifically, about practical strategies for developing partnerships with language minority parents. A framework is provided for fostering cooperation between home and school, given the special factors that should be considered as non-native English speaking families become more…

An instructional guide for English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers is presented in this volume. The 18-week program contains the following modules, each of which includes sections on civics and structure: human relations; general information; housing; consumer education (money, banking, and shopping modules); occupations; health (two modules…

This "ERIC Flyer File" presents a collection of digests, minibibliographies, excerpts, and reprints on culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional learners. The collection of 18 items addresses 3 areas: assessment, curriculum and instruction, and parent involvement. The six resources on assessment focus on young Hispanic children…

As part of a communicative approach and to provide non-linguistic information to students, authentic videotape recordings were incorporated into the summer intensive Spanish course in the University of South Carolina's master's program in international business. Students were introduced to the tapes by first seeing segments without sound, both to…

Techniques for teaching students to use a variety of language and communication skills to improve participation and success in cross-cultural situations are outlined. The approach evolved in the context of the Naval Postgraduate School at Monterey, California, in which foreign military officers must learn strategies for effective communication in…

Papers from a conference on language teaching and testing are grouped in four sections. The first contains a foreword by Dale A. Koike and Antonio R. M. Simoes. The second, on research in second/foreign language teaching, includes the following: "Second Language Learning and Evaluation: From Theory to Classroom Practice" (Sandra J.…

An English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) program for adults is outlined that uses a local newspaper as a source of instructional material. The course uses transitional listening and speaking activities that lead to literacy (reading and writing) components. The teaching guide is modular, enabling the teacher to select the most appropriate module for…

A family-centered approach to improving the academic success of immigrant children is discussed and advocated, and illustrated with anecdotal statements of educators and parents. An educational agenda emphasizing parent involvement, support of literacy and other educational activities, intergenerational communication, and family strength and…

Until the 1880s, the language of instruction and that spoken by students was dictated by the culture of the community. Although public officials advised immigrants to use American English rather than their mother tongues, no legislation was enacted mandating English as the official language of education. However, with sizeable groups of immigrants…

This report describes the design and development of the MASTER program, an autoinstructional model to supplement introductory foreign language courses, and examines its application in two French language courses offered at Brevard Community College. The first sections contain introductory material, a review of the literature on second-language…

A collection of 54 lessons in Hiligaynon, one of the major languages of the Philippines, is divided into 12 units, each lesson intended for about 4 to 5 hours of classroom instruction. A brief grammar summary introduces each unit. A structural content note begins each lesson within the units, followed by microdialogues (two to four lines)…

In this paper, the authors review all the Federal programs that support, at least partially, foreign language education for non-government language students, and they calculated the maximum amount that these programs spend on foreign language education. The Department of Education (ED) receives the most funding for these projects with total…

Electronic networks provide new opportunities to create functional learning environments which allow students in many different locations to carry out joint educational activities. A set of participant observation studies was conducted in the context of a cross-cultural, cross-language network called the Intercultural Learning Network in order to…

Articles in these two issues of the newsletter on teaching adult literacy in English as a Second Language (ESL) address the following topics: (1) the definition of literacy; (2) the development of learning skills in students parallel to the language skills learned; (3) multiple literacy in a Thai refugee camp; (4) confusion resulting from more…

A kindergarten teacher implemented a 10-week practicum study designed to enhance the English acquisition of 38 limited English proficient kindergarten children. Primary goals of the study were to: (1) narrow the learning gap between the English speaking children and the limited English proficient children; and (2) develop language skills the…