Reports on the third year of a research project to document and evaluate an innovative foreign language in elementary schools (FLES) program in Japanese for Grades K-5. Findings indicate that the children progressed considerably in foreign language proficiency and developed positive attitudes toward language learning. (28 references) (Author/CK)

Explores the barriers that physical appearance and cultural differences pose for children of Asian descent. Explores ways to facilitate second-language learning and provides information on classroom behaviors characteristic of Asian cultures and common surnames from various Asian countries. (HTH)

Reports on a study of social relationships, parental characteristics, academic achievement, and occupational expectations among 205 secondary-level Mexican-American high school students in California. Suggests that bilingualism may provide special advantages in obtaining the institutional support necessary for school success and social mobility.…

Discussion of growing diversity in learners' language and communication skills and increasing use of video in instruction focuses on the use of captioning in instructional video and the implications for educational and industrial training. Federal legislation that affects video courseware developers is reviewed, and the use of closed captioned…

Describes teaching Western political theory at Beijing University (China) in 1987, a period of political modernization. Suggests changes to enhance education and scholarship in China concerning instructional pedagogy. Notes the need for critical writing skills, finds students limited in their ability to analyze scholarly writing, and recommends…

Explores the alternatives best suited to teach limited English proficient students in the United States, and considers whether those alternatives are aimed at developing and conserving language resources. Also offers a brief history of bilingual education in the United States from 1550 on. (JB)

This article describes the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Third Edition, an assessment designed to test preschool children in vocabulary acquisition, screen both for giftedness and mental retardation, and measure English language proficiency in individuals for whom English is not a primary language. Its administration, standardization,…

Reviews the findings of some recent research on reading rate, comprehension, and subvocal speech; discusses how computer-assisted instruction can be used to help readers develop reading strategies for proficiency; and examines the implications of the research for software development, including drill and practice, reading process practice at…

The formation of cooperative programs in the French and German departments of Northern State University (South Dakota), South Dakota State University, and the University of South Dakota is described, including language enrollment trends, state-level expectations and directives, curriculum restructuring, introduction of new technologies, and…

Describes a teacher-driven, teacher-defined professional-development process designed to create an immigrant-responsive high school. The project involved English-as-a-Second-Language and content teachers who collaborated to improve students' literacy. They examined other models, their own needs, and student data, then created an accelerated…

Early childhood educators and school personnel increasingly will be working with children and families from diverse economic, ethnic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. While the student population is rapidly becoming diverse, the teaching force remains predominantly White and from middle-class backgrounds (Whitebook, 2003). This growing…

Michigan State University (MSU) is strongly committed to the idea that study abroad is deeply beneficial and important for undergraduate students. However there is a relative scarcity of systematically gathered qualitative and quantitative information that assesses the impact of study abroad. In the summer of 2000, MSU implemented a broad plan to…

Mauritius is a multilingual country with English, French and Creole as the main languages, and several ancestral languages which are mainly used for religious ceremonies. Most children speak Creole at home and learn English, French and one ancestral language in the first year of primary school. The educational dropout rate is 40-50% after primary…

In the last quarter century, China has come a long way toward building a strong contingent of secondary teachers, including English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers. Over the years, impressive progress has been made in strengthening teacher education and raising the educational levels of the teaching force, with the result being a…

The present study examines the possible effects of bilinguality on third language learning among English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners with a focus on reading comprehension proficiency achievement. This study is a longitudinal survey of EFL learners in Urmia University in Azerbaijan, Iran, during 2002-2004. It compared 56 Turkish-Persian…