Bilingual and ESL Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts [Paperback]

Carlos J. Ovando (Author), Virginia P. Collier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0070479593 | ISBN-13: 978-0070479593 | Edition: 2nd

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. The authors feel it is the responsibility of all educators, not just specialists, to prepare themselves to work with language minority students. This time-tested classic text (not an edited volume) integrates theory and practice and provides comprehensive coverage of all bilingual and ESL issues. The text integrates the fields of ESL, bilingual, and multicultural education and provides rich examples of effective practices and their underlying research knowledge base. The text covers teaching of all the content areas and has separate chapters on teaching mathematics, science, and social studies. Ninety percent of the second edition is new since the first edition written thirteen years ago. The new edition Includes research on the English-only movement (chapter 1), a comprehensive review of current research on first and second language acquisition for school (chapter 4), and the crucial research base on culture and the integral role it plays in schooling of diverse linguistic and cultural heritages (chapter 5). A new chapter 3 covers teaching and explores cooperative learning, critical pedagogy, and interdisciplinary, multisensory lessons, using as examples art, technology, and music incorporated into instruction that connects to students' lives inside and outside school.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Carlos J. Ovando is the Assistant Dean for Teacher Preparation and the Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Arizona State University. His research and writing focuses on factors which contribute to the academic achievement of language minority students and ethnically diverse groups. He has served as guest editor of two special issues of the Educational Research Quarterly. Dr. Ovando has presented invited papers in Canada, Egypt, England, Guam, Mexico, Nicaragua, The Netherlands, The Philippines, Spain, and the United States. He has served as a high school Spanish teacher and as a professor of education at Oregon State University, the University of Alaska, Anchorage, and the University of Southern California. Born in Nicaragua, Dr. Ovando emigrated to the United States at the age of 15 and has experienced first hand many of the academic, sociocultural, and emotional issues which confront language minority students in the United States. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Langua; 2nd edition (December 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070479593
• ISBN-13: 978-0070479593
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,253,068 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Bilingual and ESL Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts, February 24, 2006

By 

R. Ozuna - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bilingual and ESL Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts (Paperback)

The authors emphasize relevent material and content towards the importance of "teaching in multicultural contexts". The excepts from teachers and students provide a personal connection. This book addresses issues of cultural diversity, Bilingual/ESL strategies, and provides a reference on laws and policies that have evolved to focus on today's changing educational settings.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Could it be better?!, January 25, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Bilingual and ESL Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts (Paperback)

I read and studied from the second edition of this book. It was THE book I took with me into my comprehensive exams for my PhD studies in Bilingual Education (which I passed). I CAN'T WAIT to read the new/updated edition! These authors/researchers are incredible!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Read, February 7, 2007

By 

D. Grady "book bug" (Alaska) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Bilingual and ESL Classrooms: Teaching in Multicultural Contexts - Text with PowerWeb (4th Edition) (Paperback)

This book is required reading in a graduate class I am taking and is an excellent resource. It gives a comprehensive look at Bilingual Education. It begins with an overview of bilingual education, then moves into specific programs and policies which include important court cases that shaped the face of education today. The historical view was particularly interesting! After chapters on language and culture, Ovando does a great job of explaining how to teach in different content areas. Anyone in the field of education will benefit from reading this book. It is well researched and written by someone with a deep understanding of bilingual education.