""The major goal of this book is to take a comprehensive look at research, policy, and effective practices in U.S. schools for students who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. The 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. Thus we educators urgently need to provide appropriate, meaningful, and effective schooling for these students, who too often have been underserved by U.S. schools. This book speaks to all educators, with the goal of providing rich examples of effective practices and their underlying research knowledge base" (page xiii)."
"This text integrates theory and practice to provide comprehensive coverage of bilingual and ESL education. The text covers the foundations of bilingual and ESL education and provides a strong focus on what the teacher needs to know in a bilingual classroom. Woven throughout the text are quotes from bilingual and ESL students and teachers that illuminate the bilingual/ESL learning and teaching experience. -Back cover."