Discusses the controversy over the use of Ebonics in the Oakland (California) schools and presents two schools of thought about the origin of Ebonics, the pidgin/Creole and the African retention theories. Three research studies are described that support the use of Ebonics in the classroom as a bridge to standard English. (SLD)

Investigates how the language in which formal education is conducted affects learners' reading ability in the context of Malawi and Zambia. Administration of English- and local-language reading tests reveals that no significant difference exists in English-language reading ability between learners in each country, but large differences in favor of…

Discusses issues in Latvia's K-12, higher, vocational, and adult education, focusing on teachers, language of instruction, and educational research; noting serious difficulties within each area; and offering 10 recommendations (e.g., the Ministry of Education and Science should be in charge of what students should know and be able to do when…

The ways in which Canada has been encouraging bilingualism through the higher education system is viewed both from the perspective of second-language instruction itself and more general education in a second-language medium. The rise in support for bilingualism in Canada as a whole is considered. Changes are recommended. (MSE)

The history and impact of the University of New Brunswick's 1983 French Language Policy, calling for courses to be offered in French in a number of disciplines, are discussed. Despite unanimous support by the deans and a large population of eligible students, courses continue to have low enrollment. (Author/MSE)

A study investigated teacher, student, and supervisor attitudes toward and specific use of native Arabic in classes of English as a Second Language. Findings are reported, and recommendations for a systematic and purposeful use of the native language are made. (52 references) (MSE)

Studies the case of a religious group of German immigrants, whose German-American descendants attended German-language parochial schools but received secular instruction in English. Although the situation resulted in English-dominant children rather than the intended German-dominant bilinguals, recent sociolinguistic, psycholinguistic, and…

Six lessons or statements are offered based on experiences teaching school-aged students in English-medium schools in Canada. The lessons refer to judicious use of first language, language teacher connections with the learner's view of the world, second-language learning and curricular content, etc. (Contains seven references.) (LB)

Describes an English immersion "Bridge Program" for Hong Kong children that aims to provide a bridge between primary schooling in Chinese and secondary schooling in English. Also discussed are the role of communicative language teaching in content subject teaching, theoretical assumptions of Canadian immersion programs and the Bridge…

Reviews the reported findings and implications of the Ramirez et al. study. Examines the validity of the operational definitions of the program types and the degree of implementation of the models. Discusses the seven major findings of the study, and some possibly misleading conclusions. (KS)

Recent activation of a 1940 Italian law allowing equal amounts of elementary school subject area instruction in French and Italian in the Valle D'Aosta (Italy) are described. The plan uses paired bilingual teachers who alternate both languages and grades during the school day. Extension of the program to higher grades is discussed. (six…

A study of nine federally funded Special Alternative Instructional Programs for language-minority students in which English was the primary language of instruction showed that the incorporation of students' native languages in instruction need not be an all-or-nothing phenomenon. The complexities of using students' native languages in schooling…

Examines the historical role of English in the Nigerian education system. Introduced through evangelism and colonialism, English became the official Nigerian language and still occupies a place of pride in formal schooling. Although the widespread use of English in Nigeria will likely continue, the language must be adapted to the linguistic…

Presents a detailed study of the language-planning situation in Malawi, exploring the historical and political processes, as well as current practices of language planning in the country. Discussion reconstructs and demonstrates how sociopolitical change has been perceived in Malawi and how this perception has translated into language planning in…

Argues that in Ontario's French-medium schools, reading is often a challenge, particularly for those in readiness classes who speak little or no French. A model for early intervention in reading is recommended, combining reading and writing to address the linguistic challenges of students in a minority-language community. (Author/MSE)