In this article, we share how 2 multilingual/multicultural school communities work to build strong relationships with immigrant families to support parent involvement and language minority student achievement. (Contains 1 footnote.)

In this paper we present a methodological approach that can be used to determine the likelihood that innovations observed in a minority language are the result of language contact. We then use this methodological approach to frame a discussion of data concerning eight innovations that can be attributed to transfer from the majority language…

Linguistic minority students in schools must acquire and operate in a second language while negotiating mainstream texts and content areas, along with negotiating an emerging new sense of social identity. This article presents journal data from an Australian ethnographic study that explored the relationship between second-language use, textual…

Preparing European-American preservice teachers for diverse urban school settings pose multiple challenges. Of primary concern are the differences in race, culture, and community between teachers and students. Because new teachers prefer to work where they grew up, most preservice teachers want to teach students who are like themselves in familiar…

A major challenge facing the prekindergarten-12 education system in the United States is the fact that as the population changes, the particular needs of children change with it. One of the largest demographic shifts over the last ten years is the sharp increase in the number of students in public schools who speak English as their second language…

The study examines educator beliefs and practices of parent involvement for English-language learners. Central-office personnel, building administrators, and classroom teachers in 6 northeast Texas districts with rapidly growing enrollments of language-minority students were interviewed and observed. We identified 2 approaches for understanding…

Due to growth in immigration to the Republic of Ireland, the number of language minority students enrolling in primary schools has increased substantially over the last 10 years. The Irish context is a particularly interesting one in that until recently Ireland was a country of net emigration with limited experience of cultural diversity. An…

Although it takes only 2 years to attain conversational competence in a second language, it takes up to 7 years to realize sufficient language competence to achieve academically at the level of native speakers. Specific adaptations in instructional methods in mathematics for language minority students should include techniques from English as a…

This collection of papers presents a range of views about the three-layered language situation in Sweden, a situation not unlike that in many other countries worldwide. The papers include the following: "Introduction" (Sally Boyd and Leena Huss); "Swedish, English, and the European Union" (Bjorn Melander), which summarizes…

This document contains 26 issues (the entire output for the 1990s) of this publication dedicated to the study and preservation of Europe's less spoken languages. Some issues are only in French, and a number are in both French and English. Each issue has articles dealing with minority languages and groups in Europe, with a focus on those in…

This book offers 21 papers in three parts. After (1) "Introduction" (Jacques Maurais and Michael A. Morris), Part 1, "Global Communication Challenges," includes (2) "Towards a New Global Linguistic Order?" (Jacques Maurais); (3) "The Geostrategies of Interlingualism" (Mark Fettes); (4) "Language Policy…

Discusses the growing ethnic and cultural diversity of the student population and the challenges this presents in teaching English Braille. The need to first address the student's competence in spoken English before teaching Braille is stressed. Using grade one Braille for teaching ethnically diverse students is recommended. (CR)

Examines the persistence of prejudice, especially about language, at a time when multicultural educational objectives are (apparently) widely accepted. Discusses belief in the "bilingual deficit," views of culture within Scotland, the role of cultural "markers" in religion and language, acculturation in various contexts, and…

An inner-city Maryland school that serves 610 students coming from 37 different countries and speaking 25 different languages has created a caring, inclusive community by providing kids with incentives, stability, and a chance to celebrate their various cultures at a community exhibition center. Dedicated staff accept no excuses for truancy and…

Examines how much heritage language material is available for language minority students in the libraries of a large elementary school district in Phoenix, Arizona. Determines whether there is any relationship between a school's instructional approach for its English language learners and the quantity of heritage language reading material offered.…