Bingo: the picture I was looking for. (source: nytimes.com)

English
Originally uploaded by (^_~) [Markus Masataka] (~_^).

The following are the first three paragraphs for my Language Development course research paper:

Immigrants are a fact of the United States, and the languages they brought with them have been a part of our nation’s diverse history. Political polarization in the last quarter century, however, has brought immigration and language into question, and into the forefront of our public policy discussions. Regardless of the politics, the issues of immigration and language affect our role as educators. Language, after all, is the conduit through which knowledge moves in an American classroom.


Language acquisition models are many and varied, but teaching children English is the primary goal. Research indicates there may be upwards of 90 different program types (Lessow-Hurley, 2000). With many programs to choose from, there are no one-size-fits-all English language development (ELD) models, though some in public policy—not necessarily ones educated in language acquisition—seem to believe otherwise, regardless of empirical research.


ELD can also be a politically charged issue. A Google search of "Proposition 227," the controversial 1998 California English Language in Public Schools initiative, returns 3,480,000 results! Comparatively, Stephen Krashen, a foremost authority in language acquisition research, returns only a mere 113,000 results.

jazz in your pants
Originally uploaded by pesotum.

Research suggests that music education can provide lasting benefits for kids who learn instruments early in life. Early musical training develops the part of the brain that controls learning and reasoning, according to the Children’s Music Workshop, a company that coordinates music programs in some Los Angeles-area schools. Researchers have also linked early music education with spatial intelligence, development of creativity, problem solving, standardized test scores, compassion, work ethic, teamwork, discipline and self-confidence. (San Diego City Beat article)

Gent Magazine
Originally uploaded by augiestyle.

Logan Jenkin of the San Diego Union wrote in his column: "According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of San Diego ranks 10th in the country, with almost 40 percent of its adults boasting college degrees; 30 years ago, the city was just average at about 11 percent."

That's 4 out of 10 San Diegans are college graduates, which is a higher average than the national average.

College graduates typically earn more than non-college graduates, and with the high percentage of grads in this area, there's bound to be a casue/effect relationship.

Logan's piece quotes Professor Richard Florida: "America's most successful cities may increasingly be inhabited by a core of wealthy workers leading highly privileged lives, catered to by an underclass of service workers living in far-off suburbs."

Interesting.