Research Guide for English 101: Bilingualism in Education
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Prepared by Elinor Appel NSCC Library (this will open in a new window) Image source: Flickr |
Books
Reference Books - use these books for background information and to look up specific topics. Reference books vary in their approach and content, so consider which angles are appropriate to your research. Some examples:
- Early Childhood Education: An International Encyclopedia [Ref LB 1139.23 .E272 2007 vol. 1]
- Encyclopedia of American Education [Ref LB 17.U54 1996]
- Encyclopedia of Education [Ref LB 15.E47 2003]
- Encyclopedia of Educational Research [Ref LB 15.E48 1982]
- West's Encyclopedia of American Laws, 2nd ed. [Ref KF 154.W47 2005]
Circulating Books - use these books to find more in-depth information on your topic.
Refer to Finding Books for tips on searching the catalog using keywords and subject headings. Click on the subject headings you turn up to find more books on your topic. Examples of the range of subject headings you may find:
- Bilingualism
- Education, Bilingual --United States
- Education --Social aspects
- Language Acquisition
- Language and education --United States
- Language policy --United States
Once you find a title or two in the catalog, locate them in the circulating collection upstairs and then browse the shelves in that area for more books on your topic. You may find books in a variety of areas: LB (Education), KF (Law), JV (Immigration), P (Language Acquisition), and PE (English Language).
Refer to Finding Articles for tips on how to search a periodical database using keywords and topics. Remember to "talk to the database" using Boolean logic or other search symbols. Also keep in mind that keywords change over time, for instance: Chicano, Hispanic, Latino have all been used to describe more or less the same population.
- and – for combining concepts/keywords, will narrow the search: education and law
- or – when you are using related terms, will broaden the search: education or instruction
- “ ” – when you are using a phrase: “official english movement”
- * – when the terms have related stems: bilingual* for bilingual, bilingualism
- ( ) – to organize your search phrase: bilingual* and (education or instruction)
Good periodical databases for your research are:
- ProQuest - general database with articles ranging from news to scholarly
- Ethnic NewsWatch - articles from ethnic, minority, native press
A good reference database for your research is:
- Opposing Viewpoints - pro and con articles to numerous controversial subjects
Feel free to explore other databases that might be appropriate to your particular topic!
Refer to Searching the Internet for tips on searching the Internet effectively using Google. Remember to consider the authority (who), bias (what is the purpose of the site) and currency (is it up to date?) when evaluating web sites. Simply limiting your Google search by domain (add site:edu or site:gov to your search ) is often a good way to start. To limit your search by country, limit by country code. (For instance: site:jp for Japan, site:th for Thailand, site:sg for Singapore.) If you aren't sure what the country domain is, check here.
- Bilingual Education Act (1968) - from the Department of Education
- The Bilingual Education Act: A Legislative Analysis (1980) - from the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education
- Bilingual Research Journal (BRJ) - search for (older) free online articles on bilingualism here
- Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) - for full-text articles go to select Full Text Availability: Show only results with free full-text directly from ERIC.
- English First - organization founded to support English only instruction
- Google Scholar: add the term pdf to your search, which will give you a greater chance of finding full-text articles
- National Association for Bilingual Education - organization founded to promote bilingual education
- Online Newspapers from Around the World (via the Internet Public Library) - scroll down below Newspapers in the United States
Introductory lecture on bilingual education: history and controversy (Hunter College)