The wide gap that exists between linguists and English teachers accounts for some of the difficulty involved in determining whether or not students "have a right to their own language." Linguists generally concern themselves with cognitive sufficiency; whereas, English teachers, concerned with behavioral sufficiency, encounter language…

Given continuing myths and misconceptions in the media and in the nation's schools about the language many African American students use, the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) believes the public deserves a statement reflective of the viewpoints of language and literacy scholars on Ebonics. The variety of Ebonics spoken by…

In the last decade the United States has witnessed a significant increase in the number of immigrants from the officially English-speaking Caribbean. The fundamental question confronting educators of Caribbean students is how best to negotiate the meeting ground between the variety of English-based creoles and the school-based standard English. To…

This position paper of the American Federation of Teachers contends that the most fundamental responsibility of schools is teaching students to read. The paper states that the type of literacy instruction that includes a range of research-based components and practices has not made its way into every classroom, and that, indeed, a chasm exists…

NCLB is leaving English language learners behind because it defies logic and common sense, is internally self-contradictory, and sets AYP expectations that the subgroup cannot possibly attain. Although the U.S. Department of Education allows states to use a variety of strategies to avoid having a Limited English Proficiency (LEP) subgroup, few…

The needs and motivation of short-term ESL students and immigrants are contrasted, and the wide variety of programs and services needed for immigrant English instruction is emphasized. Aspects of ESL instruction that need changing or restructuring include adult and community education, teacher training and examination, and innovative educational…

Discusses literature circles (LC), and describes a variety of LC techniques for helping teachers coordinate classrooms to include linguistically and culturally diverse students. Provides a description of differentiated instruction and Flippo's (1998) best reading instruction practices, relates typical LC methods, and focuses on how LC can be…

One story that needs to be told in composition classes K-16 is the story of language--the "composition" class or the English class might be the only setting for most students to learn the broader picture of how language is used throughout the world in real life. To become proficient writers/speakers, students must comprehend the complex…

To meet the needs of changing student populations, respond to the results of current research, and justify their continued existence financially, writing centers must expand their services to accommodate the diverse needs of various academic, business, and civic members of their surrounding communities. Besides offering peer tutoring and…

Noting that while high school students have received instruction in reading and writing, few have received any instruction in speaking and listening skills, this document advocates a greater recognition of the need for a more realistic balance of instruction in the four communication areas than has traditionally been the case. Sections of the…

Xavier College opened its doors in 1995 to cater to students who lived in the outer suburbs and semi-rural areas of Adelaide, Australia. Classes of 32 students contained those who could read fluently and those who could barely write their names. A curriculum pattern was established for a 2-year program in which students would be expected to…

A variety of resources is needed to effectively carry out a comprehensive evaluation of any reasonably complex program of library instruction. At the State University College at Oswego, New York, the means and motivation for carrying out formal evaluation of a college library's instruction program were greatly enhanced when librarians cooperated…

Reading aloud is an important motivational strategy not only for primary school children but also for upper-elementary, middle, and high school students. Teachers should pursue an instructional balance that considers both a sensitivity to curricular mandates and a perspective that reading aloud is beneficial to students. Poems, short stories, or…

Students in a basic writing course at Ferris State University, an open-admissions, career-technical institution, are required to buy "The Family in America," a casebook in the Opposing Viewpoints Series. The book is suitable for a student who is struggling to write on a high school level and does not have the basic educational background…

Erika Lindemann asserts that the purpose of freshman composition courses is primary and must precede any debate on whether or not literature may be taught in composition classrooms. A series of "I believe" statements about what a freshman composition course ought to do was developed. The primary purpose of a first-year writing course is…