Researchers Seek to Fill Gap in
Knowledge on Bilingual Learners

Dr. Schecter will be principal investigator of the project, along with Dr. Robert Bayley, Professor of bicultural/bilingual studies at the University of Texas, San Antonio.

Comparatively little information exists on the home language practices of linguistic minority families in the U.S. The researchers will explore how the home environment contributes to the development of bilingual abilities and biliterate skills (being able to read and write in two languages) among 50 Mexican-American families residing in communities in California and Texas.

The sites in the two states differ significantly in important respects, particularly in the percentage of Hispanics in the general population, the proportion of Mexican-Americans within the Hispanic community, and how long both groups have lived in the U.S. The researchers will compare the findings from California and Texas in order to explore key relationships between family language patterns and broader societal factors.

"We hope our work will contribute to educational programs for bilingual children," Schecter said, "by providing practitioners with a deeper understanding of the learning strategies that children from bilingual families bring to the classroom."

She indicated that the study may offer new insights into how best to develop successful home-school collaborations, a strategy found effective for improving educational outcomes of language minority children. It will also provide policy makers with additional research-based information to help them make informed decisions concerning curricula that will expand learning opportunities for bilingual children.