Evaluating Bilingual Education (Multilingual Matters, 2)

This book challenges the popular assumption that scholarly research is generally inaccessible to the lay reader. Evaluating Bilingual Education: A Canadian Case Study was written as a synthesis and overview of a number of evaluations of French immersion programs in Canada. It is a non-technical yet thorough description of Canadian research in this area, intended not only for researchers, but also for parents, educators and policy makers. Details are provided on the salient features of immersion programs in Canada, the instructional approach used, and the academic, linguistic, social and psychologucal outcomes associated with these programs. This in-depth description of one approach to bilingual education - immersion - permits the reader to determine its relevance to his/her own particular socio-political context and educational setting.

Reference

Lapkin, Sharon

Swain, Prof. Merrill

Foreign Language Study & Reference

Multilingual Matters

Bilingual Children: Guidance for the Family (Multilingual Matters)

Children's acquisition of bilingualism is shown to be something normal, something positive, which can be a rewarding and enriching experience for both children and their parents. Since the book was written with the general reader in mind, it is composed in a very readable style and has clear, easily understandable explanations of any technical matters.

Bilingual Children: Guidance for the Family (Multilingual Matters, 3)

Parenting & Relationships

Saunders, Dr. George

Parenting

Language Attitudes Among Arabic-French Bilinguals in Morocco

Those familiar with a bilingual community may be aware of the passionate reactions bilingualism can inspire in those who experience it. The Arabic-French bilingualism examined here, for instance, has been both denigrated as the root of many social and psychological problems and glorified as a source of enrichment which gives the Moroccan the benefits of two separate cultures. This book attempts to counter-balance previous highly emotional discussions by looking at the phenomenon from a more objective viewpoint, using various data-gathering methods, while still preserving the insights which are perhaps available only to a Moroccan who has lived the conflicts of bilingualism in his everyday life. It looks at the bilingual's attitudes towards his two languages and the roles each language plays in Moroccan society, showing that these may affect the way a bilingual is perceived by others and his own view of the world The book considers the implications of these attitudes for future language planning in Morocco, where Arabization is in progress and for other bilingual countries. It should be of interest, not only to those concerned with bilingual education or language planning, but to all who have experienced the conflicts of bilingualism themselves, or who are in contact with a bilingual community.

Language Attitudes Among Arabic-French Bilinguals in Morocco (Multilingual Matters, 4)

Politics & Social Sciences

Bentahila, Dr. Abdelali

Social Sciences

The aim of this multidisciplinary book is to present a coherent picture of Quebec's efforts to make French the only official language of Quebec society through the adoption in 1977 of the Charter of the French Language. Also known as Bill 101, the Charter has been well received in francophone Quebec but is still viewed as quite a controversial measure in the anglophone communities of Quebec and Canada. This book provides many answers as to why Bill 101 was implemented by the Quebec Government but it raises numerous questions when it comes time to evaluate the impact of the Charter on different sectors of Quebec society. For instance has Bill 101 achieved its goal of establishing the use of French in Quebec and if so at what cost? Has the Office de la langue francaise, the government body in charge of implementing Bill 101, succeeded in its task of enforcing the Francization of Quebec business firms? Whose interests has the passage of Bill 101 really served in Quebec society and does the Charter promote the cause of Quebec Independence? What have been the effects of Bill 101 on French/English relations in the Province and what strategic options are open to Quebec anglophones faced as they are with a drop from majority to minority status? Finally, how do the education provisions of Bill 101 dealing with Quebec anglophone minorities compare with those found for francophone minorities across Anglo-Canada? Each chapter of this edited book deals with one or more of these questions. As a case study of language planning in a modern society, the issues raised in this volume should be of concern not only to Quebec and Canadian readers but also to all those involved in fields such as political science, sociology, public policy, education, sociolinguistics, language planning and social psychology. If this volume helps readers better appreciate the issues raised by language planning efforts such as Bill 101 in Quebec, then it will have achieved its purpose. Above all, this volume shows that as with other aspects of human activity language too can be planned.

Conflict and Language Planning in Quebec (Multilingual Matters, 5)

This is the first of four volumes composed of selected papers from the LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENT SYMPOSIUM. The Symposium provided a forum where a broad spectrum of researchers, practitioners and policymakers met to discuss the major issues and research findings which affect language proficiency assessment practices. The work presented in the four volumes will add new insights into the issue of language proficiency assessment. It is believed that the research and theoretical perspectives offered represent a positive step toward attaining the overall objective of developing effective language proficiency assessment procedures and, ultimately, a more equitable education for language minority students. All four volumes have been edited by CHARLENE RIVERA and they will be published in the MULTILINGUAL MATTERS series.

An Ethnographic-Sociolinguistic Approach to Language Proficiency Assessment (Multilingual Matters, 8)

Communicative Competence Approaches to Language Proficiency Assessment (Multilingual Matters, 9)

The focus of this volume is on those theoretical, psychometric and practical issues which pose a challenge to the measurement of language proficiency. The complexity and difficulty of defining communicative competence and identifying valid and appropriate approaches for its measurement among students with limited English skills is reflected both by the researchers and educators who contributed to the volume. In addition to, adding, highlighting, positing or negating current findings and perspectives regarding communicative competence, the perspectives represented in the volume, provide valuable information about the nature of children's language use, its assessment and the role of first and second language in academic achievement. The book is divided into two sections which demonstrate the need for continued multidisciplinary dialogue among researchers and practitioners. Approaches to Communicative Competence This part of the book centers on current perspectives and research. The individual chapters in their diversity, pose a challenge both for those attempting to use communicative competence to interpret the results of currently used language proficiency measures as well as for those attempting to develop valid language assessment instruments from a communicative competence perspective. Application The attempt to better understand communicative competence has resulted in a wide range of applied research within the context of bilingual and immersion education. The chapters, included here are representative of the research undertaken to explore practical and valid ways to assess language competencies and to define their role in the educational placement of students with limited English skills.

This volume grew out of a dialogue between Jim Cummins and other scholars and practitioners present at the Language Proficiency Assessment Symposium. It represents a state of the art discussion of Cummins' theoretical framework. Cummins first summarizes and explains the development of his theoretical framework relating language proficiency and academic achievement. Five distinguished researchers then provide critiques which highlight varied perspectives on the long term meaning and implications of Cummins' work. Finally, Cummins responds to the critiques in an attempt to clarify his position. This interdisciplinary dialogue raises important issues of concern not only to researchers but to educational practitioners and clinicians at all levels. As such, it is hoped that the knowledge gained from the interaction represented in this volume leads to greater theoretical and practical understanding of the critical areas related to language proficiency assessment.

Language Proficiency and Academic Achievement (Multilingual Matters, 10)

Rivera, Charlene

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Books by Multilingual Matters

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Multilingual Matters publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Evaluating Bilingual Education (Multilingual Matters, 2)

Evaluating Bilingual Education (Multilingual Matters, 2)

Bilingual Children: Guidance for the Family (Multilingual Matters, 3)

Language Attitudes Among Arabic-French Bilinguals in Morocco (Multilingual Matters, 4)

Conflict and Language Planning in Quebec (Multilingual Matters, 5)

An Ethnographic-Sociolinguistic Approach to Language Proficiency Assessment (Multilingual Matters, 8)

An Ethnographic-Sociolinguistic Approach to Language Proficiency Assessment (Multilingual Matters, 8)

Communicative Competence Approaches to Language Proficiency Assessment (Multilingual Matters, 9)

Communicative Competence Approaches to Language Proficiency Assessment (Multilingual Matters, 9)

Language Proficiency and Academic Achievement (Multilingual Matters, 10)