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Language attitudes toward bilingualism, non-standard English dialects and bilingual education have always played a major role in shaping educational and political policy during the history of this country. Important legal mandates and court battles such as the English Language Amendment Bill of 1981, the Equal Educational Opportunity Act of 1974, Lau vs. Nichols (1974), The Bilingual Education Act of 1968 and Martin Luther King Junior Elementary School Children et. al. v. Ann Arbor School District have all helped to shape educational policies for bilingual and nonstandard English speaking children in the public schools. Legal court battles such as Diana v. the Board of Education have also helped to establish certain testing practices and policies in the field of special education. All of these have greatly influenced many of the current assessment and intervention philosophies, policies, and practices advocated for use with minority children in our field. Knowledge of these important precedents can enhance professionals' understanding of these philosophies, policies and practices.
The specific topics addressed by the readings referenced in this factsheet include:
- The history of bilingual education;
- The pros and cons of bilingual education;
- An overview of important legal mandates and educational policies affecting the delivery of services to bilingual and nonstandard English speaking children;
- A history of language attitudes toward bilingualism.
Adler, S. (1993). Multicultural communication skills in the classroom. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Adler, S. (1987). Bidialectalism? Mandatory or elective? Asha, 29(1) , 41-44.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (1989). The English Language Amendment. Asha, 31(9) , 80-81.
Crawford, J. (1989). Bilingual education: History, politics, theory and practice. Trenton, N.J: Crane Publishing.
Cummins, J. (1989). A theoretical framework for bilingual special education. Exceptional Children, 56(2) , 111-119.
Fish, D. (1986). Legal issues affecting the delivery of services to minorities. In F. Bess, B.S. Clark, & H.R. Mitchell (Eds.), Concerns for minority groups in communication disorders (pp. 85-88). Rockville, MD: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Hakuta, K. (1986). Mirror of Language: The debate on bilingualism. New York: Basic Books, Inc.
Iglesias, A. (1994). Programs for children with limited English proficiency: An assessment of present practices. In K. Wong and M. C. Wang (Eds.), Rethinking policy for at-risk students (pp. 123-149). Berkley, CA: McCutchan Publishing Co.
Langdon, H. W. with Cheng, L. L. (1992). Defining bilingual education in the United States. In H.W. Langdon with L.L. Cheng (Eds.), Hispanic children and adults with communication disorders: Assessment and intervention. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers.
Ruiz, R. (1988). Orientations in language planning. In S. McKay & L. Wong (Eds.), Language diversity: Problem or resource? (pp. 3-25). New York: Newbury House Publishers.
Compiled by the Multicultural Issues Board May 1996
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