Negotiating Identities: Education for Empowerment in a Diverse Society

by Jim Cummins

About the Jim Cummins teaches in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning of the University of Toronto. His research focuses on the challenges educators face in adjusting to classrooms where cultural and linguistic diversity is the norm. He has published widely in the areas of language learning, bilingual education, reading, and the implications of technological innovation for education. Among his recent publications are the 1997 book co-edited with David Corson, "Bilingual Volume 5 of Encyclopedia of Language and Education" (David Corson, General Editor) (Kluwer Academic Publishers), and "Language, Power, and Bilingual Children in the Crossfire" (Multilingual Matters, 2000). He has also served as an author or consulting author on a number of Scott Foresman curriculum programs in the areas of ESL, Reading, Social Studies, Science and Mathematics. | About The California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE) is a statewide organization established in 1976 to promote quality bilingual education programs for students who are English Language Learners and native English students wanting to learn a second language. There are five CABE regions with 70+ chapters serving 6,500 members throughout California. CABE membership includes teachers, administrators, parents, instructional assistants and other community members and organizations. Vision and CABE's vision is "Biliteracy and Educational Equity for All." This vision is based on the premise that students in the 21st century, in order to succeed and be powerful forces in our communities, have 1) be multilingual; 2) be knowledgeable of the diversity in our society and recognize/respect the differing perspectives of our multicultural global society; 3) be information and technologically literate; and 4) be civically oriented and active advocates for their communities. ...

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Teaching, Language

Paperback

First published June 1, 1996

Reviews

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful book explores. Explores the issues of bilingual education and issues of power among immigrant and minority students in American Education. An important point it makes is that the strength of bilingual education is more in its culturally affirming and empowering aspects than the use of two-languages per say

[Judy]

"Students who have been failed by schools predominantly come from communities languages, cultures and identities have been distorted and devalued in the wider society." p. iv
"Human relationships are at the heart of schooling." p 1
If a teacher is not learning from students, then students are not learning from teachers.

[Gulcan Kizilmese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enlightening!

[Edy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every educator, every legislator, and every critic of bilingual education should read this book. Cummins details how mother tongue knowledge is transferred to a second language. Furthermore, he discusses the difference between social language and academic language and just how long it takes for students to learn the academic language so they can use it as well as their native-language peers. This work is a gem.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent for understanding the social aspects of language acquisition!