Understanding Race, Class and Culture Pages 46-49 Accelerated Schooling for English Language Learners

• Main Authors: Wayne P. Thomas, Virginia P. Collier
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1999
• Subjects: Román; Tundra
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.569.4317; http://www.ascd.org/ascd/pdf/journals/ed_lead/el199904_thomas.pdf

A bilingual education model that uses both English and the student's primary language results in improved academic achievement and dual language proficiency—especially when used in a curriculum rich in subject-matter content and cultural relevance. Imagine that you are a student living in the Alaskan tundra, where even in the summertime a fall into the river can mean quick death. In your classroom, equipped with computers and video technology, your math and science curriculum covers crucial survival skills. The curriculum includes deep knowledge from the elders, spoken in your native tongue, wisdom that must not be forgotten. It also includes ecological problem solving as you analyze the impact of 20th-century innovations on your environment. Or perhaps you have moved with your family from a small town in rural Mexico to a U.S. city. Family members and others who made a similar journey welcome you to your new community. School is at first bewildering, but Señora Román and Ms. Miller and all your Spanish-speaking classmates make you feel OK. Books in Spanish and English and your classmates ' stories about