The so-called "English for the Children" initiative signals a new phase of English-only activism, broader in its appeal and more direct in its assault on educational programs. Its lopsided victory in California shows that advocates for language-minority students have yet to develop an effective response. As the campaign to dismantle bilingual programs moves to other states, there is an opportunity to learn from mistakes made in opposing Proposition 227 -- in particular, the decision not to defend bilingual education or to explain its pedagogical rationale. Changing public attitudes and mobilizing grassroots support must be part of any successful strategy.

Empirical evidence has been forthcoming that supports the sustained use of native language instruction for Spanish language origin children in the US. This paper argues that prospective bilingual education teachers are not generally afforded the type of Spanish language development opportunities needed to provide sustained native language instruction characterizing the most effective program models. Rather, the academic Spanish language development opportunities they do receive are aimed primarily at serving the needs of early-exit transitional bilingual education programs, the most common and least effective type of bilingual program in the US.

While two-way immersion programs have been shown to be very effective for both language majority and language minority students, their effectiveness with students who speak a home la nguage other than those used in the classroom has not been established. Since the inclusion of such third language students in two-way immersion programs is rare, little is known about whether the effects might be positive or negative. However, a Korean/E nglish two-way immersion program implemented in Los Angeles which includes several speakers of Spanish and Tagalog presented a rare research opportunity. Among several possible areas of concern regarding the effects of two-way immersion on third language students, differences in ethnic identification might be anticipated. This exploratory study provides and discusses indicators of positive program outcomes which relate to academic achievement, language development and ethnic identity, focusing on ethnic identification with students' own group and with others. Data were collected from students in two other programs, English mainstream and Spanish bilingual, for comparison with same school peers. It was found that the third language students fared quite well in academic and language development, as well as in ethnic identification, with some interesting differences. Based on these findings, it is tentatively suggested that two-way immersion may provide a better educational alternative than submersion for third language students for whom a bilingual program is not available.

This article examines the development of an English Language Center in Estelí, Nicaragua in 1993. This case study aims to help those involved with the implementation of similar language teaching projects in the developing countries of Latin America. This critical examination reveals the struggles with power and resistance that one faces when implementing a program of its kind. The complexities of the different agendas within the classroom, as well as outside the school, are explored within the parameters of teaching and learning English as a Foreign Language in Nicaragua. This reflection not only explores the pedagogical soundness of the English Language Center, but it also focuses on an awareness of the social, cultural, and political ramifications. While the nature of this article is anecdotal and the situations presented are not necessarily directly representative of other environments, these authentic experiences serve as a guide for the planning and implementation of similar language projects in Latin America.