Mother tongue-based education perpetuates equity in education, especially among girls who are often regarded as disadvantaged in access to education. The Asia and Pacific region is characterized by its rich ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity. Such diversity is found missing in many school systems in the region which often leads to gaps in…

This book examines the development, implementation, and aftermath of the U.S. government's language policy for indigenous people from 1860 to 1900. Analysis of archival documents, autobiographies, ethnography, and fiction examines why and how government-sponsored English-language classrooms for Native students came into being, how European…

The PEBIMO project was designed to determine whether bilingual education could improve the quality of primary education in Mozambique, recognizing that Portuguese is not the native language of the majority of Mozambican students. The project began in 1992 with 8 cohorts of first grade in 2 provinces; during this investigation, students were in…

This publication reviews research findings on selected aspects of home and school language usage in the Pacific region, which is a multilingual context with English as the common language. Patterns of indigenous and English language vary considerably across geographical areas. Traditional cultures and languages are changing rapidly. The wide…

This handbook provides a comprehensive, theoretical framework and practical guide to implementing, evaluating, administering, and maintaining a successful dual language instruction program. Practical tools include sample lessons, evaluation checklists, tables, and charts. Also provided are a list of reference materials, useful organizations,…

This book offers an overview of the events surrounding the development of the two official language communities (English and French) of Canada during the last 30 years and the establishment of a model of official bilingualism. The text is provided in both languages. Chapter 1 describes the context of language change: historical origins of…

This paper examines the special challenges that English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students face in succeeding in science classrooms in U.S. schools. Particular focus is on how students in one experimental classroom (a Grade 2 and Grade 3 two-way bilingual English-Spanish class in a small western city) learned to apprehend scientific meaning with…

Analyzes the syllabus used in Brunei schools, questioning the introduction and timing of school subjects, particularly in relation to which language medium is used for teaching, and suggesting an alternative syllabus. Samuel's response questions whether Jones' recommendations are workable and acceptable in the Brunei situation. (33 references)…

Identifies five recurring themes in the literature on bilingualism: role of language policy or planning activities in educational reform; concern with nurturing the mother tongue and facilitating transfer of skills across languages; importing a model versus a "cycle of discovery"; practical problems that impede implementation of…

Discusses current research on six bilingual elementary schools in Friesland, focusing on students' command of Dutch and Frisian, and on school policies concerning Frisian as an instructional subject. The proportions of Frisian- and Dutch-speaking children in an area, the pedagogical and sociolinguistic climates, and the problems associated with…

Examines, through an interview technique based on models and pictures, the impact of the language of instruction on concept development in Form One and Form Three science students. Analysis of the data collected suggests that the language of instruction significantly affects concept attainment for Form One students, but not for Form Three,…

Reports on a study of 126 secondary English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students' transfer of essay organization skills between languages (Icelandic and English). Pre- and posttest proficiency scores were analyzed. It was concluded that students' success in transferring writing skills between languages is assisted by their grammatical proficiency…

Current teacher education programs do not provide appropriate knowledge for teaching minority students. The article focuses on American Indian students as an example. It discusses the value of using students' home language and culture at school, particularly in the early years, and stresses the value of responsive teaching methods. (SM)

Computer conferencing offers many opportunities for linking college students and faculty at a distance. From the Binational English and Spanish Telecommunications Network (BESTNET) has evolved a variety of bilingual video/computer/face-to-face instructional packages to serve institutions and nontraditional students on several continents. (MSE)

An overview of educational policies toward language-minority students from 1960 to the present indicates how often they have been ignored. The new national standards movement, America 2000, is no exception. The effects that this initiative might have on the education of language-minority students are explored. (SLD)