ABSTRACT
The focus of this special issue of Language Arts is the rapid demographic change that is transforming the face of developed countries. Relatively homogeneous majority populations are being replaced by heterogeneous collections of racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. The question posed by this issue is, “What is the role of language arts instruction in the face of such change?” To answer this question we need to assess the role of language arts instruction in the relatively homogeneous societies of recent decades as a basis for determining what kinds of changes the pluralistic societies of the future will require. Because I am from the United States, I will speak mainly of that society, focusing on reading instruction as it has been implemented in our schools in recent decades.
