Introduces this volume of the journal, which focuses on language in education in post-colonial Hong Kong. Before Hong Kong was returned to China, Cantonese and English were the predominate languages; since the change of sovereignty, the status of Mandarin has increased tremendously. (Author/VWL)

Argues against the notion that Chinese students do not volunteer to participate in tutorial discussion. Interview data obtained from a group of Chinese tertiary students in Hong Kong has shed some light on the subtle relationship between the traditional Chinese concepts of learning and students' behavior in tutorial discussion. (Author/VWL)

Describes the Intensive English Language Testing System test, which is used to assess whether nonnative candidates are ready to study or train in the medium of English. (Author/VWL)

Outlines concepts of language rights in the Hong Kong context. Considers development of a medium of instruction policy from the point of view of language rights and suggests that while policy enforcing Chinese medium of instruction is consonant with the language rights of the Cantonese majority, continued existence of an English-medium stream may…

Discusses English medium teaching in Pakistan and suggests that at the moment it is an elitist preserve and a stumbling block for Pakistanis not taught through English. Indicates that exposing other students to English could counteract growing cultural and religious intolerance in Pakistan. (Author/VWL)

This exploratory study identifies factors affecting parental choice of language of instruction, based on semistructured interviews with 16 Russian-speaking parents in three urban areas of Estonia. We investigated three different types of language programs: Russian schools, which provided education in the children's first language; Estonian…

In his article, A class act -- Mathematics as filter of equity in South African schools, Michael Kahn analyses South African data from matriculation examinations and draws on and re-examines previous analyses he himself has done. This document highlights the important insights into participation and performance in mathematics in South Africa that…

This article explores the "two faces" model of education through which Kenneth Bush and Diana Saltarelli (2000) describe the positive and negative roles that education can play in situations of ethnic conflict. The authors apply it more narrowly to analyze the effect of inclusion and diversity in education in a conflict situation. In…

Clive Whitehead (2005: 315-329) makes an indisputable claim that British colonial education is a controversial topic in the history of education. The macro study of educational systems undertaken within a framework that guarantees a systematic and rigorous approach can offer answers to many disputed issues, but researchers should not underestimate…

Since the ascent of King Mohammed VI in 1999, Morocco has made strides to recognize the rights of its Amazigh (Berber) population. But the pace of progress is far too slow. One significant problem is the government's unwillingness to recognize the Amazigh as an indigenous people, which in turn undermines the Amazigh's ability to participate in…

Academic discourse relating to the cultural relevance of indigenous education is ever expanding both nationally in Canada and internationally. Reflecting upon recent research data as well as lived experience as a teacher educator in Nunavut, I offer a critique of some well-established beliefs connected to considerations of culturally appropriate…

Following Mozambique's independence from Portugal in 1975, and a prolonged civil war which ended in 1992, the ruling party FRELIMO has striven since 1993 to implement a bilingual educational system in the country. This paper addresses the reasons underlying the leaders' choice of this system and considers the problems involved in language planning…

This study investigates the effect of the preparatory year program courses on the first calculus course (Calculus I) at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM). The data consists of more than 2,000 bilingual Arab university students studying in the English language, tracked over seven semesters. These students represent over 70% of…

A professional development experience is described in which teachers from schools with Latino student populations participated in two mathematics lessons taught in Chinese. The goal was to allow the teachers to experience linguistic challenges similar to those that many ELL students face. In addition, the article also discusses teachers'…

This study concerns the goals of school mathematics in the curricula of African schools. Concerns about the state of mathematics education are noted: not only is achievement declining, but also there has been (1) a student population explosion, so that goals formulated two decades ago are no longer applicable, and (2) rapid growth of informatics…