Advances in Research in Bilingual Education.

N

10

Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Languages Affairs (ED), Washington, DC.

T292008001

Academic Achievement; Bilingual Education; Elementary Secondary Education; English (Second Language); Language Research; Language Role; Limited English Speaking; Native Language Instruction; Non English Speaking; Second Language Learning

This report summarizes advances in bilingual education that help linguistically and culturally diverse (LCD) students reach high levels of achievement and performance. Factors to be considered include the native language, bilingualism and academic achievement, curriculum, parental and community influences, and programmatic evaluation. The reports assesses the status of the English language and the role of the non-English language among this population, suggesting that the relationship between bilingualism and academic achievement is seen as a positive relationship with a shift away from use of the home language to English. Research conducted with pre-school to middle school students is summarized, and the involvement of traditional educational institutions with nontraditional, ethnic parents is discussed. The impact of community, parents, and social class are briefly reviewed. The effectiveness of bilingual education programs is assessed, and alternative approaches to bilingual education are identified, such as the first or native language learning environment. (Contains 16 references.) (NAV)

1996

ED394302