This study investigated the relationship between varying levels of material difficulty and learning performance during the use of multimedia for learning. Thirty-six college students participated in the study. Their ages ranged between 20 and 25, and were all non-English-speaking international students in English preparatory classes. Findings…

New programs are seeking to meet the needs of Spanish-speaking children. (Editor)

THE BILINGUAL SCHOOL ORGANIZED IN DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, INCORPORATES A LANGUAGE AND READING PROGRAM EMPHASIZING STRUCTURAL LINGUISTICS. THE SPECIAL READER SERIES BEING UTILIZED, THE "MIAMI LINGUISTIC READERS" SERIES, HAS BEEN DEVELOPED AROUND TEN MAJOR LINGUISTIC AND PEDAGOGICAL PREMISES. THE MATERIAL MUST DEAL WITH TOPICS INTERESTING TO…

Four articles on fostering communicative competence in the English as a second language classroom are presented. In "Communicative Competence as an Emphasis in Language Teaching," Alan Kerr examines the subject at a theoretical level and looks at some implications for the classroom. In "Communicative Competence, or 'Who Speaks What…

In response to a 1979 mandate, a survey was conducted to determine the number of non English speaking school age children in Rhode Island. This document contains instruments used in the survey, as well as tabulated results. Included are (1) a fact sheet distributed to school districts about the district total by language groups; (2) a…

THIS PLAN, COVERING THE FIRST FIVE DAYS OF A BILINGUAL FIRST GRADE CLASS, WAS DESIGNED TO AID BEGINNING TEACHERS OF NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING CHILDREN MEET SOME OF THE SITUATIONS THEY WILL ENCOUNTER. (SPECIAL EMPHASIS IS ON SPANISH-SPEAKING CHILDREN.) THE DAILY SCHEDULE IS PRESENTED AS A GUIDE TO BE ADJUSTED ACCORDING TO NEED. IN ADDITION TO THE…

Discusses the factors which affect the transition children must make between the family's sociocultural context and the often quite different sociocultural context of the school. (MS)

When 40 Spanish-speaking students registered for classes 5 years ago, the Sierra Junior High School staff (New Mexico) designed a language development program and created student and teacher schedules in 24 hours. This article describes curricular emphases and program progress. A new goal is to encourage both English and Spanish proficiency.…

Presents two views on recognizing English as the official language of the U.S. Proponents say it will help immigrants advance themselves and will bind Americans together. Critics argue that the amendment does not increase English proficiency but punishes those who have not learned; it also heightens racism and xenophobia. (LHW)

Reviews the role of bilingual education litigation in the formation of educational equity policy. Assesses the nature and role of research on minority group language achievement. Lists fourteen suggestions for future research needed in bilingual education. (MD)

Authors Gersten and Woodward respond to the criticism by Santiago of their article on structured immersion. (MD)

English has become the primary language of most information retrieval tools. This makes it almost impossible for the non-English speaking world to take advantage of American abstracting and indexing services. One solution to this problem is to use the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) as a switching language. (Author/DH)

Research funded by the U.S. Office of Education and the Office of Economic Opportunity. (DD)

Questions whether American universities can teach foreign students from non-English speaking countries the elements of professional journalism and whether it is fair to encourage these students to come to the United States for professional training. (Author/RB)

The suit sought to secure for Puerto Rican and other Hispanic public school students with English language difficulties their rights under Federal law and the implementing regulations and guidelines. (Author)