This book presents a vision of bilingual education in six South American nations: three Andean countries, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, and three 'Southern Cone' countries, Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. It provides an integrated perspective, including work carried out in majority as well as minority language contexts, referring to developments in the fields of indigeneous, Deaf, and international bilingual and multilingual provision.
The Education of Indigenous Citizens in Latin America examines the development of intercultural bilingual education throughout Latin America, focusing on practices that preserve the cultural and linguistic diversity of Indigenous peoples. The contributors trace the trajectory of political and policy issues related to the implementation of intercultural bilingual education.
Within the past few decades, there has been great progress in deaf education in Latin America and growth in the empowerment of their Deaf communities. However, there is little awareness outside that region of these successes. For the first time, this book provides access, in English, to scholarly research in these areas. Written by Latin American Deaf and hearing contributors, Change and Promise provides a counter argument to external, deficit views of the Latin American Deaf community by sharing research and accounts of success in establishing and expanding bilingual deaf education, Deaf activism, Deaf culture, and wider access for deaf children and adults. Change and Promise describes the historical, cultural, and political contexts for providing bilingual deaf education in Latin America. Bilingual deaf education uses students' sign language, while simultaneously giving them access to and teaching them the majority spoken/written language. This book describes current bilingual deaf education programs in the region that have increased society's understandings of Deaf culture and sign languages. This cause, as well as others, have been championed by successful social movements including the push for official recognition of Libras, the sign language of Brazil. Change and Promise covers this expanding empowerment of Deaf communities as they fight for bilingual deaf education, sign language rights, and deaf civil rights. Despite the vast political and cultural differences throughout Latin America, an epistemological shift has occurred regarding how Deaf people are treated and their stories narrated, from labeling "deaf as handicapped" to being recognized as a linguistic minority. This panoramic study of these challenges and triumphs will provide an invaluable resource for improving outcomes in deaf education and help to secure the rights of deaf children and adults in all societies.
This book includes the work of 20 specialists working in various educational contexts around the world to create comprehensive and multidimensional coverage of current bilingual initiatives. Themes covered include issues in language use in classrooms; participant perspectives on bilingual education experiences; and the language needs of bi- and multilingual students in monolingual schools.
This book investigates new English language policies and initiatives which have been introduced and implemented across Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay and Venezuela. Chapters are organized around three themes. Chapters in the first section critically examine newly-implemented English language policies, as well as factors that contribute to and prevent the implementation of such policies. Chapters in the second section describe and analyze current teacher preparation and teacher development initiatives, in addition to the challenges and opportunities associated with such initiatives. Finally, the third section features school- and classroom-based research designed to investigate the status of English language teaching and the implementation of innovative programs. All authors have a first-hand understanding of the South American context and draw on references and resources which originate beyond Inner Circle countries. The book showcases examples of innovation and success in a variety of complex contexts and will serve as a starting point for researchers, as well as being of interest to students, policymakers and stakeholders.
How can Americans make our country stronger, kinder, smarter? By marshaling our enviable can-do ethic and learning another language. We can do it, no matter what our age: author Steve Leveen chose Spanish as his adopted language in midlife. America's Bilingual Century is filled with tips for learning a language, some mechanical--like changing your phone and laptop settings to your adopted language--and some philosophical. For instance, start by having a place in your life where you'll use the language, Steve says. The "where" makes the "how" more attainable. And recognize that, as with any adoption, you do it for love, and for life--so don't fret when you're not fluent in five months. If you have kids, start them young. You'll be glad you did when you read about the explosive growth of dual language schools across the country and the significant, measurable advantages they give our young people. Steve also takes us to the top summer language immersion camps, for both children and adults. And he shares his findings from leading language scholars, teachers, sociolinguists, app creators, and bilinguals of all stripes that he discovered during his dozen years of research. Then he topples 12 myths about Americans and languages that no longer hold in this century. Like thinking the whole world speaks English (it doesn't), that being monolingual is natural (it isn't), and that Americans suck at language (quite the opposite, as he demonstrates). Here and now in the 21st century, America is embracing its many ethnic and cultural heritages. How natural, then, that we enfold the many languages that these heritages thrive on as part of that quintessentially American pursuit of happiness. If you've never thought of bilingualism as being a patriotic act, America's Bilingual Century may persuade you otherwise. Knowing a second language changes the way we perceive the world, and the way the world perceives us. "English is what unites us," Steve says. "Our other languages are what define and strengthen us." And even if becoming bilingual leans more toward aspiration than arrival, that's okay. The journey is as rewarding as the destination.
The seventeen chapters brought together in this volume represent a selection of papers presented at the International Conference on Bilingualism held in March 2015 at the University of Malta’s Valletta campus. The multifaceted nature of the conference is evident in the diverse viewpoints from a range of authors who analyse aspects of the linguistic situations in Brazil, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Macau, Malta, Poland, Romania, Sri Lanka, and the United Kingdom. The volume comprises chapters on Code-Switching, Linguistic Landscape, Bilingualism, Culture and Identity, Language Policy, Bilingual Education, and Trilingualism. This book is a valuable resource not only for students and scholars, but also for language teachers interested in the variegated nature of bilingualism in various countries in Europe, Asia, and South America.
Dual language education is a program that combines language minority and language majority students for instruction through two languages. This book provides the conceptual background for the program and discusses major implementation issues. Research findings summarize language proficiency and achievement outcomes from 8000 students at 20 schools, along with teacher and parent attitudes.
