This anthology of sociolinguistic/anthropologically-oriented articles on ethnic bilingualism and bilingual education seeks to understand bilingual education outside of the methodological-pedagogical issues involved, that is, from a theory and research, rather than classroom, perspective. Bilingual education is seen as the result of societal…

This study attempts to do the following things: (1) to identify values and assumptions as they influence research on bilingual education; (2) to identify and delineate the major theories employed in explaining and predicting phenomena in bilingual education; and (3) to explore alternative explanations of identical phenomena, and to show that…

This paper examines the contradictory data of research studies on bilingual education from the viewpoint that such data will make sense only if we consider bilingual education as the result of societal factors rather than as the cause of certain behaviors in children. Schermerhorn's theoretical framework for research on ethnic relations (with the…

The goal of European immigrants to the United States was characterized by the "melting pot" image up until the late 1960's. Then a trend of revival of the identity of ethnic minorities changed the slogan to "from the melting pot to the salad bowl." Cultural pluralism and maintenance of native languages became the goals of the movement. The massive…

Since many of the concerns motivating research on bilingual education are inherently those of a conflict theory approach, it is not surprising to find increasing dissatisfaction with the traditional quantificational mode of research, as contrasted with the qualitative mode. There is likely to be a close link between research questions, method of…

This paper is a statement, from the viewpoint of a language teaching specialist, of the contributions language learning theory could make to language planning. It consists of three parts: (1) a conceptual framework of language planning used to identify ways in which a linguist might contribute; (2) a summary of basic concepts of language learning…

A review of research reveals little attention paid to the problems of a comparative approach to the analysis of bilingual education (BE). This paper explores some of the functions and problems of a comparative study of BE to clarify the question of whether BE research can be generalized. While problems of comparative research are common to all…

Swedish research and opinion on bilingualism, language policy, and bilingual education in Sweden is reviewed. The Swedish debate on language planning and bilingual education revolves around two perspectives: structural-functional theory and conflict theory. Swedish research consists primarily of statistical and descriptive studies rather than…

The language problem of emigrant children has two major aspects: (1) concern for mother tongue maintenance; and (2) concern that the children are not learning the second language, which is the official language of the host country. The first is primarily the concern of the family, whereas the second is the concern of the entire community. Massive…

This paper discusses some major theories of social and educational change (e.g., evolutionary theory, structural functional theory, systems theory, group conflict theory, and cultural revival and social movement theory), and delineates the identification and interpretation of variables relevant to an understanding of bilingual education within the…

Following a brief history of bilingual education (BE), the author makes a meta-evaluation assessment of BE research, arguing that the findings are not so contradictory if one examines the theoretical frameworks chosen by the researchers. The equilibrium and conflict paradigms and the structural-functional theory are considered. (SJL)

Group bilingualism is typically the result of contact and assimilation between ethnic groups. The language shift is influenced by the origin of the contact, the degree of enclosure, and the control exerted by dominant groups. Bilingual education may have the goal of language maintenance or induced language shift. (Author/SJL)

Group bilingualism, the contact situations which lead to it, and the role of language in maintaining ethnic boundaries are examined. Emphasis is laid on minority languages in the United States, Canada, Europe, and South Africa. The insistence of these groups on maintenance bilingual education rather than the acceptance of transitional assimilation…

This publication is a discussion of what is known today about learning and teaching English as a second language, also known as TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages). The discussion is divided into three sections: (1) the historical development of the field in the United States; (2) the domains of TESOL; and (3) the teacher, the…

Discussions of the communicative approach to language teaching are often confusing because different definitions are ascribed to communicative competence in the teaching context. Its definition as the appropriate use of the sociocultural rules for language use in spontaneous interaction is preferred; this definition makes possible more precise…