Book Description

Encyclopedia of Bilingual Education in the United States Josué M. González, General Editor The Encyclopedia of Bilingual Education in the United States is a two-volume work intended to be a comprehensive, first-stop reference work. It is tightly focused on the unique history, polemics, and the various forms bilingual education has taken in U.S. schools. It was written for use by non-specialists who wish to explore, in a comprehensive non-technical way, the intricacies of this subject from various angles: history, policy, classroom practice, designs, and research bases. Readers may access information about the links between bilingual education and related subjects: linguistics, education equity issues, socio-cultural diversity, and the nature of demographic change in the United States. The work may be viewed as a single-source documentary history of bilingual education in the last half of the 20th century but its roots in earlier periods in U.S. history are also summarized. The book includes a number of public documents that can serve as primary sources for research on public policy aspects in the education of language minority students. Because bilingual education in the U.S. has been the subject of intense public policy debate, important legislation and litigation documents are reproduced and discussed. The work was prepared bearing in mind the research needs of university undergraduates, school personnel, journalists, and others who require quick and accurate material. Because it is comprehensive in coverage, it should prove valuable to those who wish to understand the polemics associated with this field as well as its technical details. The information presented can serve as a starting point for more focused or specialized inquiry. Included are succinct presentations of laws and court cases, demographic data and selected biographical and bibliographic material. A number of thoughtful essays round out the compendium.