A Handbook of Bilingual Education.

The introduction to this handbook for teachers and administrators in bilingual education programs states: "Half of the children in the world are bilingual, and approximately one fourth of the people in the United States can communicate in more than one language. About ten percent of our population speaks a language other than English natively. For thousands of the children who enter school each year, English is a foreign language." In the first chapter, the authors present a historical view of bilingualism and discuss some of the controversial points raised by educators. (A glossary of linguistic terms used is provided.) In Chapter II, the linguistic, psychological, social, and cultural factors involved in bilingual education are considered. Chapter III outlines suggestions for setting up bilingual programs, the need for which must first be recognized by the local school board and superintendent. In Chapter IV, a brief description of English phonology and points of English grammar as they contrast with Spanish and Navaho illustrate some common teaching problems. Chapter V discusses curriculum and language teaching and offers some practical teaching suggestions based on traditional axioms adapted to bilingual education. The final chapter, stressing the importance of evaluation, discusses language and intelligence tests and home condition questionnaires. (AMM)