Culture and Orientation: Grades K–12
Books
August, D. (2002). Transitional programs for English language
learners: Contextual factors and effective programming. Center for Research
on
the Education of Students Placed At Risk, Johns Hopkins University.
Available
online.
This report examines how the development of literacy in the native language
plays a role in the acquisition of second language literacy, and how
educators may determine when a student is ready to transition into English-only
literacy programs by assessing the transfer of skills. This paper highlights
school-age children who are acquiring English as a second language, where
English is the societal language.
August, D., & Hakuta, K. (Eds.) (1998). Educating
language minority children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
This book summarizes for teachers and education policy makers what has
been learned over the past three decades about educating language minority
students. It discusses
a broad range of educational issues: how students learn a second language; how
reading and writing skills develop in the first and second languages; how information
on specific subjects (e.g., biology) is stored and learned and the implications
for second-language learners; how social and motivational factors affect learning
for English language learners; how English proficiency and subject matter knowledge
of English-language learners are assessed; and what is known about the attributes
of effective schools and classrooms that serve English language learners.
Delpit, L. (1995). Other people’s children:
Cultural conflict in the classroom.
New York: New Press.
This collection of nine essays suggests that many academic problems attributed
to children of color actually stem from a power structure in which the worldviews
of those with privilege are taken as the only reality, while the worldviews and
culture of those less powerful are dismissed as inconsequential or deficient.
Part 1 discusses controversies about the relative merits of skills-based and
process-based literacy instruction for Black children. Essays in part 2 describe
village primary schools in Papua New Guinea that give children a solid base in
their own language and culture while preparing them for later Western-based schooling
in English. Part 3 comments on issues of cultural difference and equity in new
performance-based teacher assessment.
Fantini, A. E. (Ed). (1997). New
ways in teaching culture. Alexandria, VA: Teachers
of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
This collection of essays and ideas for exploring culture in the ESL classroom
begins with an introductory section that offer a theoretical and conceptual framework
for including culture and intercultural dimensions in ESL instruction. The subsequent
sections contain 50 classroom activities grouped in four areas: activities to
explore the nexus of language and culture; activities for sociolinguistic exploration;
activities for culture exploration; and activities for intercultural exploration.
Each includes information about appropriate instructional level, instructional
aims, and needed class time, preparation time, and resources as well as specific
procedures.
Henze, R., & Hauser, M. (2000). Personalizing culture
through anthropological and educational perspectives. Center for
Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence:
University of California, Santa Cruz.
This report shows teachers and teacher educators how to gain specific
knowledge about the cultures of their individual students and their
families. Through
this personalization of culture, teachers can use students’ prior knowledge
and skills as rich resources for teaching and learning, and help create culturally
responsive schools.
Holt, D. D. (Ed.). (1993). Cooperative learning: A response
to linguistic and cultural diversity. McHenry, IL and Washington, DC: Delta Systems
and Center
for Applied Linguistics.
Essays on cooperative learning focus on the use of this strategy to address
the special needs of linguistically and culturally diverse student groups in
elementary
and secondary education. This volume contains several essays on theory, principles,
and techniques of cooperative learning and a series of model instructional
units for a variety of grade levels and subject areas.
Kugler, E. (2003). Debunking
the middle-class myth: Why diverse schools are good for all kids. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press.
This book provides guidance on how schools can nurture the unique opportunities
that diverse schools offer. In addition to sharing real life experiences from
an array of school communities, Kugler offers specific strategies for dealing
with diversity challenges and opportunities for each of the key stakeholders—school
boards, superintendents, principals, teachers, parents, students, and community
members.
McIntyre, E., Rosebery, A., & Gonzalez, N. (Eds.).
(2001). Classroom
diversity: Connecting curriculum to students’ lives. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
This book draws from nine different CREDE research projects and presents both
the theoretical framework for linking students’ lives with curriculum
and specific strategies from teachers who have done so successfully.
Ovando, C. J., Collier, V. P., & Combs, M. C., (2002). Bilingual
and ESL classrooms: Teaching in multicultural contexts. (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw
Hill.
Demographic predictions are that students with close connections to their bilingual/bicultural
heritages (now labeled language minority students by the federal government)
will be very large in number in the near future, becoming the majority in many
states over the next three decades. This text integrates theory and practice
and provides comprehensive coverage of bilingual, ESL, and multicultural education
issues. It provides rich examples of effective practices and their underlying
research knowledge base.
Tse, L. (2001). Why
don’t they learn English?
Separating fact from fallacy in the U.S. language debate. Oakland, CA: CES
National.
Through a synthesis of recent research and individual stories, Lucy Tse debunks
persistent, widespread misconceptions about immigrants’ language use
patterns in the United States. Tse demonstrates that, on the whole, adult immigrants
and
their children learn English rapidly, but as they do, they lose facility with
heritage language use, often putting family and community connections at risk.
Weinstein-Shr, G., & Quintero, E. (Eds.). (1994). Immigrant
learners and their families: Literacy to connect the generations. Washington, DC: Center
for Applied Linguistics.
Scholars and educators are discovering what children, parents, and grandparents
have known all along: Families and communities have a profound impact on
the language and literacy acquisition of their members. Drawing on the experiences
of learners and educators across the country, this collection provides examples
of innovative models of intergenerational programs, curricula, and program
evaluation.
Journals
Language & Intercultural
Communication
This journal aims to promote an understanding of the relationship between
language and intercultural communication. Language & Intercultural
Communication seeks to disseminate new ideas and examples of good practice
in educating students in language and intercultural communication.
Language, Culture and Curriculum
Language, Culture and Curriculum provides a forum for the discussion
of factors that are relevant to the formulation and implementation of
language
curricula. Second languages and minority and heritage languages are a special
concern.
Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development
The Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development is published
six times per year by Multilingual Matters. This international journal
includes articles on multilingualism and multiculturalism and covers
a wide range of topics, including contributions to theory, research
studies,
educational policies and systems, teaching and learning strategies, and
assessment procedures.
Teaching Tolerance
This online magazine is published twice a year and profiles educators,
schools, and programs that promote diversity and equity in replicable
ways.
Digests and Reports
Building Partnerships with Latino Immigrant Parents
Cultural Learning Styles
Hispanic Parental Involvement in Home Literacy
Language Learning in Social and Cultural Contexts
Parent Involvement in Culturally Diverse Classrooms
School/Community Partnerships to Support Language Minority Student
Success
Valuing Diversity in the Multicultural Classroom
Online Resources
Foreign Language and Culture
This site offers many links to sites combining culture and language learning
and teaching.
Culturegrams
Several companies have produced educational or classroom aids called
variously “Culturgrams” or “Culturegrams.” They
offer an introduction to the cultures of many areas of the world.
Krannert Memorial Library
This site offers reference books with information on specific areas.
The section on Cultural Anthropology could prove useful in learning about
students’ cultural
backgrounds.
National Clearinghouse
for English Language Acquisition (NCELA)
This site provides useful information about language and culture.
For example, see “Culture
as a Contextual Variable”.
This site also provides a list
of links to resources on teaching language and culture.
Looking
at Ourselves & Others Teachers Guide
This publication of the Peace Corps World Wise Schools introduces students
to the concepts of perspective, culture, and cross-cultural relations.
The guide is designed to help students recognize and appreciate differences
in perception among individuals and cultures, define culture and recognize
its role in developing perceptions of ourselves and others, challenge
assumptions, promote cross-cultural awareness, and provide opportunities
to practice
the behaviors that make cross-cultural communication possible. |
