ABSTRACT
Developing effective programs for training cognitive skills that contribute to academic achievement will require sensitivity to the diverse characteristics of program trainees. Among those in the U. S. population who might benefit from such programs are persons from non-English language backgrounds. In 1976 it was estimated that one person in eight in the United States came from a background where a language other than English was spoken at home. About 10% of school-age children (6–18 years old) had such a background (NCES, 1978a). The educational attainment of children from non-English backgrounds is low relative to that of the populace as a whole. For example, children in grades 5–12 from language minority backgrounds who usually spoke a non-English language were more than three times as likely to be one or more grades below the grade levels expected for their ages than were children from English language backgrounds (NCES, 1978b). Restricted educational attainment level among persons from non-English language backgrounds is not limited to primary and secondary school-age children. For example, a review of higher education attainment data and research on Hispanics by Duran (1983) cites evidence that lack of English language familiarity inhibits college admission and success in college for adults from non-English backgrounds.
