Bilingual Education Issues and Strategies

According to demographic projections, there will be more bilingual than monolingual children in this country by the next century. Consequently, the United States' traditional emphasis on "English-only" education, which seeks the homogenization of linguistically diverse groups, will need to be reevaluated in the face of the changing makeup of American society. In this volume, the esteemed contributors advocate innovative instructional programs designed to encourage the development of second-language skills for as broad a spectrum of school-age students as possible. To this end, they present the history, theory, and methods for developing effective bilingual programs. Part I provides an overview of the history of bilingual education as well as the context for evaluating research findings and for the development of new pedagogical models. Part II covers various issues in bilingual education, such as the relationship between language and thinking, and the role of childrens' native language in their early education. Part III explores curriculum development for classrooms, schools, and districts as well as implementation and evaluation strategies. And, Part IV discusses how to apply the research and theory into practice in various disciplines, settings (grammar to college level), and in immersion programs. An important and timely resource, Bilingual Education, provides a comprehensive examination of second-language instruction for instructors and administrators of bilingual programs, as well as for courses in foundations of bilingual education. Together, Bilingual Education: Issues and Strategies and Foreign Language Education: Issues and Strategies offer valuable insights into a subject of national concern. "This volume makes a valuable contribution to the growing literature devoted to issues of bilingual education policy and practice in the US. Graduate level." --ChoicePadilla, Amado M. is the author of 'Bilingual Education Issues and Strategies' with ISBN 9780803936393 and ISBN 0803936397.