Reforms in bilingual education currently sought by Secretary of Education Bennett would enable school districts to apply for and receive federal bilingual education funds regardless of the methodology they choose for those programs. The objective is to get the federal government out of the business of mandating curriculum to local schools. The…

The bilingual education movement, begun in the 1960's and virtually mandated by the 1974 Supreme Court Lau vs. Nichols decision, is highly controversial due to public perceptions of bilingual programs; the apparent departure from traditional school language policy; and the concept of bilingual education as a strategy for realizing the social,…

Examines the history and growth of bilingual education in the United States as it has developed through legislation and the courts. Discusses the Department of Health, Education and Welfare and its language planning efforts. (JMF)

The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of bilingual education programs in Peru. The first part of the paper consists of a general discussion of Peruvian history and the problem of native language suppression under Spanish colonialism and, later, a Spanish dominant independent government. Educational policies and the…

This analysis explicates the federal legislation which is the foundation for many bilingual education efforts in the United States today. The first section sets forth the political background that led to the passage of the Bilingual Education Act of 1968. This background information considers the experiences of the Hispanic population in the…

The author briefly traces the change in educational policy for foreign-speaking students from English-only in the 1930s to bilingual education today. While noting the promise of bilingual education, she points out attitudinal and administrative problems which need correction. (SJL)

Historical forces and factors affecting the development of Canada's bilingual programs for ethnic minorities include changing immigration policies, a decline in Anglo-conformism and growth in multiculturalism, fears about native language maintenance and second language learning, and language and cultural attitudes in second language learning. (MSE)

The tendency for bilingual education to remain locally-oriented and to resist outside input may impede its success. Unless the efforts to better instructional programs, teacher training, materials development, and evaluation improve soon, no amount of political or legal support may be able to sustain the movement. (Author/SJL)

This history of bilingual education in the United States begins with the advent of the Spanish in the early 16th century, and traces the development of the phenomenon to the present. Chapters cover (1) early immigration of Spanish and Germans before the Revolution, (2) early 19th century xenophobia, (3) bilingual schooling in the early 19th…

Various interpretations of the historical forces affecting U.S. language policy and attitudes toward bilingual education are examined. Changing political, social, and economic forces, rather than any consistent ideology, have shaped the nation's responses to language diversity. U.S. language ideology has shifted with changing historical events,…

Hawaii's history of immigration, language policy, and education are directly related to the issue of bilingual education in its schools today. Beginning with missionary contact, English became the dominant language of the islands, in terms of official policy if not in terms of numerical superiority of English speakers. Until World War II, there…

This review of the educational progress of Chinese Americans examines the demographic, cultural, and learning characteristics of this group with respect to the historical and current status of bilingual/bicultural program development. The Lau v. Nichols case is cited as a major influence and precedent for the development of federally mandated…

Outlines the historical background preceding the emergence of bilingual education in several of Ireland's western districts. Discusses the nature of the program, the training of bilingual teachers, and efforts by teachers themselves to develop bilingual methods. Examines the program's introduction throughout the districts and charts its general…

The views of George I. Sanchez are examined to determine what an earlier generation of Hispanic-American educators thought about bilingual education. Sanchez stressed integrating Spanish-speaking children into Anglo classrooms and downplayed the need for a new pedagogy, such as bilingual instruction. (PP)

In an excerpt from his autobiography, a Mexican-American expresses his strong feelings about the unfortunate realities behind affirmative action and bilingual education, based on his own experiences and observation of others'. (MSE)