The need for and problems of teaching ethnic languages in the United States are discussed. Difficulties include inadequately trained teachers and lack of teaching materials and guidelines. An institute for teachers of Spanish speakers is described, with emphasis on the development of a theory defining native language instruction. (PMJ)

A Massachusetts elementary two-way bilingual education program represents a democratic, efficient approach to the education of two distinct language groups by balancing second-language instruction in English and Spanish and by integrating the two student populations. Discusses program goals, team teaching, classroom setting, program structure,…

Native-speaking Northern Arapaho elders produced bilingual booklets for their reservation schools that, due to their ephemeral nature and local context, provided access to intimate information about their producers and contexts. These booklets provide the best example within the culture of how traditional practices of oral performance…

Describes a project that used QuickTime digital television to create multimedia computer programs to supplement and expand native language instruction in elementary schools in British Columbia. The Nedut'en dialect of the Carrier language is explained, computer-assisted language instruction is discussed, and technical limitations are considered.…

Argues, on the basis of research carried out in Canada and Belgium, that not only does the formal learning of the ancestral language in school enhance the overall cognitive abilities of immigrant children but also constitutes the optimal means by which such children can gain literacy in the dominant language. (37 references) (MDM)

A Canadian university teacher of Native languages assessed the effectiveness of personal acquaintance with students, realistic reassurance, and avoidance of threatening behaviors for preventing and reducing school anxiety among Native students. Five case histories illustrate the successes and limitations of this approach. (Author/SV)

Assesses Nigeria's efforts to achieve mother-tongue literacy for its citizens. Describes Nigeria's complicated sociolinguistic landscape, national language policies, and the Ife experimental project, studying the use of the mother tongue in primary schools. Points to nonlinguistic factors in educational success, including parental background,…

This article examines the nature of language education and the national curriculum for language education in Italian elementary and secondary schools. Analysis of the curriculum shows the place given to the development of language awareness and of conscious knowledge of language in Italian schools. (seven references) (MDM)

Describes the attributes of effective programs and teachers serving language-minority students. Summarizes findings from large-scale studies and describes a case study of two bilingual early childhood teachers. Their instructional perspectives and practices are discussed in terms of the role of language and culture in their classrooms, their…

This replication study and follow-up study found that, when a multisensory structured language approach to teaching Spanish was used with a group of at-risk high school students, the group's pretest and posttest scores on native language phonological processing, verbal memory and vocabulary, and foreign language aptitude measures showed…

Studies Nigerian adult literacy learners reading at about the fifth-grade level. Finds that, although each of the groups had a significant mean score gain, those instructed in a mixture of English and Hausa (1 of 394 recognized languages or dialects in Nigeria) outperformed those instructed in English only or Hausa only. (SR)

Presents a breakthrough in the transition from the process of the expatriate-centered approach towards the development of indigenous education in Papua New Guinea. The indigenous people were encouraged to take an active role in establishment of their vernacular elementary school. They were able to syncretize Western values and indigenous values…

Historically, the Pakeha (European) New Zealand government's educational policies have subjugated the Maoris' destiny to its own needs. However in the last 20 years, an intensified political consciousness among Maori has resulted in schooling initiatives that maintain their culture. Discusses the success of Maori-language preschools, development…

Guatemala is overhauling its justice system to be more congruent with its indigenous reality. A Rafael Landivar University program trains indigenous legal translators not only in legal and linguistic aspects, but also in strengthening indigenous identity and student commitment to the community. Challenges and future plans are described. A former…

A Massachusetts two-way bilingual education program provides initial first-language (L1) literacy development for all students, teaches half of the curriculum in L1 and half in L2 by third grade, and selectively integrates native and non-native speakers of the target language. Both target groups meet academic and linguistic goals by fifth grade.…