This second edition of Language Minority Students in the Mainstream Classroom integrates most of the current second language teaching and learning theories and instructional strategies and presents them in simple language using a cohesive approach. The purpose of the book is to make mainstream educators aware that language minority students, especially those who are not totally proficient in English, need special attention, appropriate assessment, an appropriate language environment, and a challenging curriculum. They also need a creative delivery of instruction which is relevant to their stage of English language development as well to as their performance in subject matter, content and skills. The focus in all twelve chapters is on making instructional content relevant and understandable to English language learners. Book jacket.
This book addresses questions of language education in the United States, focusing on how to teach the 3.5 million students in American public schools who do not speak English as a native language. These students are at the center of a national debate about the right relationship among ESL, bilingual, and mainstream classes. Bilingual education has been banned by constitutional amendment in California and Arizona, and similar amendments are being considered in other states. Language Minority Students in American Schools: An Education in English places this debate and related issues of teaching standard English to speakers of nonstandard dialects, such as black English, within the larger context of language acquisition theory and current methods of language teaching. Adamson draws from the large body of sociolinguistic, psycholinguistic, and educational research, and on his own experience as an English teacher in the U.S. and overseas, to shed light on some of these controversies and on the cognitive, cultural, public policy, and practical issues involved in educating English language learners. Presenting all sides of the issues fairly, he offers a strong endorsement for bilingual and bidialectical education based on programs designed and administered according to the principles discussed in the book and supported by language acquisition theory and classroom research. A strength of the book is the inclusion of original research conducted in a middle school enrolling a majority of Latino students. This research contributes to the field of language education by providing a detailed description of how English language learners study content subjects. Examples from the study are used to illustrate a discussion of Vygotskian learning principles and the relationship between the students' home and school cultures. Language Minority Students in American Schools: An Education in English is intended for students who are preparing to become teachers of English as a second language, and for teachers of other subjects who work with English language learners.
This is the second edition of an easily readable text that provides first-hand information on culturally and linguistically diverse students as well as instructional strategies in the content areas of reading, writing, science, social studies and maths, using simple and direct language. The second edition includes updated information on current educational programs and local and national standards for English language learners in United States. The book will be of interest to researchers, professionals, under- and postgraduate students interested in the teaching of ethnic minorities.
This guide, designed for regular classroom teachers in whose mainstream classes language-minority children are enrolled, offers background information and suggestions for helping these students become proficient in English reading and writing and for involving them as resources for global and cultural awareness in majority-language classmates. The first chapter discusses specific barriers to language acquisition among language-minority students: (1) reductionist concepts of language and learning implicit in the mainstream curriculum; (2) cultural differences; and (3) inadequate communication among adults in the children's lives. The second chapter examines the reading and writing needs of this population, including instructional materials, classroom environment, topics, and nonverbal communication. The third chapter describes useful classroom techniques, all within the whole-language approach to teaching, including: using literary works; providing substantial oral language experiences; providing time for silent, sustained reading; encouraging use of student journals; incorporating technology; and promoting cooperative learning. It is concluded that meeting the needs of language-minority students in a mainstream classroom is possible if teachers recognize the barriers to educational opportunity facing the children, understand that they are better prepared than they realize to work with this population, use cooperative learning strategies, and see the children as cultural resources. (MSE)
In the USA, the number of college students with limited English proficiency is increasing. Even after successfully completing a course of English as a second language, many face both linguistic and cultural barriers in mainstream classes. This book focuses on both the theory and practice of assisting such students, especially in the sciences. As the number of non-native English speaking students increases at colleges and universities, innovative approaches are needed to successfully educate this population and how science is taught may be crucial. Instruction in the students' native language may become increasingly important in attracting and retaining non-native English speakers in college. This book is aimed primarily at staff who teach science to LEP undergraduates, but others who should be interested include staff involved with postgraduate students and high school science teachers.
This study investigated what is known about content area instruction for linguistically and culturally diverse learners (LCDLs) in mainstream social studies, mathematics, science, and language arts classes. A review of recent literature looked at three major areas: (1) the theory and practice of standards for this group; (2) theory and practice of measures of achievement, proficiency, and/or academic literacy; and (3) promising practices in content area instruction. The study also included interviews with university education faculty to determine current issues and effective practices within the various subject areas, and site visits to a suburban high school that had implemented a team approach to working with language minority students in mainstream classrooms. Some classroom observations are presented as vignettes. Contains 52 references. (Mse).
How do we effectively teach children from homes in which a language other than English is spoken? In Improving Schooling for Language-Minority Children, a committee of experts focuses on this central question, striving toward the construction of a strong and credible knowledge base to inform the activities of those who educate children as well as those who fund and conduct research. The book reviews a broad range of studiesâ€"from basic ones on language, literacy, and learning to others in educational settings. The committee proposes a research agenda that responds to issues of policy and practice yet maintains scientific integrity. This comprehensive volume provides perspective on the history of bilingual education in the United States; summarizes relevant research on development of a second language, literacy, and content knowledge; reviews past evaluation studies; explores what we know about effective schools and classrooms for these children; examines research on the education of teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse students; critically reviews the system for the collection of education statistics as it relates to this student population; and recommends changes in the infrastructure that supports research on these students.
