Examines whether instructing Nigerian primary children in science in their mother tongue (Yoruba) is any more efficacious than instructing them in science in the English language. Also assesses and compares the levels of cognitive development of two groups of Yoruba-speaking children, one instructed in Yoruba and another in English. (CS)

In a remote Aboriginal Australian (Kunibidji) community, three touch-screen computers containing 96 Ndjebbana-language talking books were made available to children in informal settings. The computers' popularity is explained by the touch screens' form and the talking books' intertextual and hybrid nature. The Kunibidji are transforming their…

A national survey of English and Welsh local education authorities conducted from 1985-1988 found that programs for bilingual students were still seen largely in terms of English language provision. However, a significant increase in teaching in pupils' native language within the curriculum had also taken place. (SK)

Describes the development and structure of Mujeres Unidas en Accion, Inc., a nonprofit community-based agency in Dorchester, Massachusetts, that offers educational programs to low-income Latina women, and looks closely at one of its educational components, the Spanish program. (Author/JOW)

Emphasizes the importance of such language program evaluation aspects as cultural preservation, funding, and language revitalization through a case example of a Canadian program teaching Saskatchewan Indian languages. (CB)

Compares the phonetically regular orthography of Spanish with the phonetic inconsistencies of English. Reports on the role of phonics in six popular Spanish reading programs. Notes that the regularity of the Spanish language is compatible with the use of systematic phonics for reading instruction. (MM)

Defines and discusses the concept of small languages. Topics addressed include political status; official status (e.g., as a national language); distinctiveness; robustness or the degree of feasibility; social function; education to support the language; functions of literacy; and appropriate technology for use with particular languages. (12…

Compares Japanese "kokugo" (national language) elementary reading textbooks with American elementary reading textbooks. Kokugo textbooks present (1) a safe, predictable, monocultural world; (2) an emphasis on empathy and feeling; (3) a focus on nature and animals, rather than humans; and (4) memories of the Pacific War. New 1992…

Among 42 second-generation Japanese-Canadian young adults who had attended Toronto secondary schools and a Japanese language Saturday school, Japanese oral and reading skills were related to each other and to ethnolinguistic identity and beliefs and interpersonal relationships with Japanese speakers. Japanese reading scores positively predicted…

Presents a summary of a case study of the Machiguenga of the Peruvian Amazon, who have reached a relatively high level of literacy 40 years after receiving a written alphabet. Identifies sociological and educational factors contributing to literacy acquisition and retention. Notes that the program has noticeably increased the people's self-esteem…

In the United States and Canada, the number of radio stations operated by Native Americans has greatly increased in recent years, as have the amount of programming in native languages and the number of native language instructional programs. Such programming can play a role in maintaining vigorous native languages and revitalizing endangered…

Investigates the relationship between the curriculum structure and the learning of Chinese. Analyzes the characteristics of the South East Coast Version of the junior secondary school text from Chinese Mainland to inform the teaching and learning of Chinese in Hong Kong. (CMK)

The educational environment in Estonia schools tends to celebrate European and national identities while pushing local identities to the periphery. In this northern Baltic state, the emphasis on using schools to reinforce the Estonian language and national identity takes place in the context of government-supported initiatives to use education…

In this article we report small, but statistically significant, effects of brief supplemental instruction on English reading by Spanish-speaking kindergartners (N=37) who performed poorly on a bilingual battery of phonological-processing tasks. Intervention design was compatible with the Reading First initiative and with research on use of…

What is a heritage language learner (HLL)? We argue that a pedagogically valuable answer to this question must do more than describe all individuals who ought be considered HLLs; it should also offer a roadmap for meeting the needs of HLLs with regard to language learning. To achieve this goal, which we refer to as achieving "explanatory…