From aula biblioteca to biblioteca aula: Integrating a school library program into the English language program of a Spanish school

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe the integration of a school library program into the English language program of a Spanish school. Design/methodology/approach - The paper describes the development of an English Language Arts Library Classroom (ELALC) in the English Program at the Col-legi SEK Catalunya, P-12 school near Barcelona, Spain. Findings - As schools in Spain do not typically have school library media centers or school librarians, the ELALCs are a way to bring the concept of a school library into a school culture where the idea is unfamiliar. The primary English language teachers at the SEK believe that the ELALCs will be a motivating environment for English language learning that will increase their students' motivation and involvement in learning. Practical implications - School library programs and librarians can and should take more active collaborative and instructional roles in language acquisition. Originality/value - The paper presents an innovative concept in providing school library skills and encouraging literacy by development of a hybrid library classroom or biblioteca aula , for P-12 schools that do not have library programs. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Introduction

Effective English as a foreign language (EFL) instruction involves an integrated approach to reading, writing, speaking and listening English language skills. When comparing this approach to the segregated approach to EFL instruction, where the language is taught as an isolated subject, the integrated approach facilitates a more natural acquisition of language - as students interact with authentic English language materials and experience its "richness and complexity" ([15] Oxford, 2001, p. 3). Research in reading, literacy and second language acquisition indicates that students with access to literature-rich environments improve their reading and language acquisition skills in both their native and second or foreign languages. Factors accounting for this improvement include an increased motivation to read and time spent engaged in spoken and written language activities that are interesting and meaningful to students, regardless of their cultural backgrounds ([2] Ghosn, 2004; [10] Krashen, 2004).

Teaching language and reading are two specialized areas of instruction. As with other curricula, school libraries can play important supportive and collaborative roles in delivering successful instruction. Developing school libraries and programs to support language learning is an ideal complement to a foreign language curriculum, particularly those that use an integrated approach to language learning, where academic content and English language instruction are provided at the same time. Libraries are a storehouse of resources and teacher-librarians facilitate the use of the library with programs that teach important literacy and information literacy skills. These corresponding skills enhance all areas of active learning and meaningful comprehension, and are as relevant for English language learners as they are for native speakers. The increased use of a school library and library programming infuses an integrated or content-based foreign language program with literature-rich activities and resources which make teaching a foreign language more effective and learning a foreign language more fun. The library media education profession has not adequately addressed the role a school library media center can play in the language acquisition process, although the language acquisition and literacy process are closely related, and school libraries have always been actively involved in literacy initiatives. Additionally many in the English language teaching profession have not engaged school library media specialists in collaborative efforts to create meaningful English language learning environments, even though the school library media center has the potential to be an important resource for English language and literacy learning activities ([12] Naiido, 2005).

To address the needs for additional English language resources for a primary English language program, two library media education researchers were given the opportunity to develop a proposal for an English language library in May of 2005 at a P-12 private school near Barcelona, Spain. The purpose of this article is to describe how we used existing concepts of classroom libraries observed at the Col-legi SEK Catalunya, called aulas bibliotecas , to develop a hybrid library classroom, or biblioteca aula , which combined an expanded version of the traditional classroom library with a school library curriculum to support and enhance the school's primary English program.

The primary English program at the SEK Catalunya

At the request of the school's primary grades English language program consultant, two university researchers visited the SEK Catalunya for two weeks to develop an English language library and library programming for their primary English program. The Col-legi SEK Catalunya, a P-12 private school in the Catalunyan autonomous region of Spain, is situated just outside the town of La Garriga, in the picturesque Montseny Hills, approximately 20 miles north of Barcelona. At the SEK, several hundred students learn academic content in Catalan, Spanish and English at all P-12 grade levels. The school is in the process of reforming its English program to a more integrated instructional approach to teach EFL.

The primary English program consultant was charged with implementing a new curriculum to improve student's English language skills beginning in the early primary grades. She chose the Harcourt Trophies series, a literacy curriculum widely used by primary programs in the USA ([3] Harcourt School Publishers, 2005). As described in the regular newsletter issued by the SEK Catalunya, the new English program uses a developmental approach to reading and comprehension of texts by focusing on basic phonics skills, but also addresses students' interests with a variety of activities and reading materials ([9] Kostka, 2004). The curriculum is adapted to the needs of the SEK primary English language program for additional instructional time in particular areas students find difficult and for vocabulary building exercises.

The Trophies curriculum is a research-based developmental reading/language arts program that employs a variety of instructional methods, including phonics instruction, direct reading instruction, guided reading, phonemic awareness, integrated language arts programs and assessment tools ([14] Otaiba et al. , 2005). The curriculum emphasizes phonemic awareness in the kindergarten and primary grades, along with language arts activities that reinforce sound/symbol relationships and basic vocabulary. Using the Harcourt Trophies curriculum is a novel approach to content-based English language instruction in the primary grades. Trophies is a developmental literacy curriculum, not an EFL curriculum, but it can be used for foreign language instruction, because the instructional goals of literacy and language acquisition overlap at the primary grade levels and similar instructional methods can be used to teach both subjects.

The use of a literacy curriculum like the Harcourt Trophies curriculum, specifically designed for native speakers of English, to be used to teach EFL has not been researched in the fields of literacy or foreign language instruction. The curriculum has only been evaluated on its use of research-based methods in literacy development in native speakers ([13] National Reading Panel, 2002). However, using this curriculum as an approach to EFL instruction makes sense because both literacy and language acquisition at the primary level focus on a developmental approach to reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. These basic literacy skills are also essential for language learning.

The emphasis on phonemic awareness in literacy development does not appear to be as strong or well developed in the field of foreign language instruction as it is in the field of literacy ([6] Jannuzi, 1998; [16] Reynolds, 1998). Initial research indicates that specific instruction in sound/letter relationships in non native speakers does improve their phonological awareness ([16] Reynolds, 1998).

The Trophies curriculum, along with the use of direct instruction in the English program focuses on letters, symbols and their meaning in the early primary grades, also incorporated language arts activities such as songs and storytelling. These activities are of the kind that teacher-librarians often engage in with young students in schools with fully implemented library media programs.

With such a varied tool as the Trophies curriculum, developing an expanded classroom library-learning environment seemed a natural extension to the innovations being implemented in the school. In such a literature-rich learning environment, students would have increased access and interaction in all four areas of language acquisition - reading, writing, speaking and listening - and develop a true love for the language and motivation to learn more.

Literacy, language acquisition and school libraries

Research on school libraries (mostly completed in the USA) demonstrates a significant relationship between quality school libraries staffed by qualified school library media specialists and student reading achievement ([11] Loertscher and Todd, 2003). Work done by Stephen Krashen and others indicate that language acquisition is increased by incorporating a literature-based approach into language instruction, specifically increasing the access to books and time spent on reading ([10] Krashen, 2004). According to Krashen, "when second language acquirers read for pleasure, they develop the competence to move from beginning ordinary conversational level to a level where they can use the second language for more demanding purposes such as the study of literature, business, and so on." (2004, p. 146).

[2] Ghosn's (2004) research on the use of literature in an EFL classroom indicates that the use of literature can provide a more culture-sensitive medium for classroom interactions and a more adaptable learning environment for different kinds of learners and learning relationships. [12] Naiidoo's (2005) article on incorporating informational books into an English as a second language curriculum lists particular areas where research has shown using informational books has benefited the EFL curriculum:

- Increased content knowledge.

- Increased use of interesting materials.

- Vocabulary development and language fluency.

- Reading motivation.

- Framework for other literacy skills (oral and written language).

- Facilitates individualization of instruction.

- Promotes creating thinking and lifelong learning.

Naiido also suggests the following library activities that can be incorporated into EFL:

- read alouds;

- booktalks;

- storytelling;

- author studies; and

- listening centers and information literacy (in the primary grades, this means understanding types and care of library books; in the later grades, this expands to organization of the library, using its print and nonprint resources and the research process).

Neither school library media centers, nor school librarians are commonly found in Spanish schools. When school libraries do exist, they rarely play an integral role in the school's educational program ([4] Hernandez and Urena, 2003). In most cases, the school library in Spain is a room used for housing books and audiovisual materials, but is not actively part of the instruction process. The UNESCO/IFLA School Library Manifesto clearly outlines the mission and states the importance of school libraries for providing students with lifelong learning skills and tools for living in the 21st century ([5] IFLA/UNESCO, 2000). However, the implementation of school libraries in Spain and in many parts of Europe and England have flagged, because many do not understand the essential role of school libraries in supporting the school's educational program ([17] Singh, 1997). The UNESCO/IFLA School Library Manifesto emphasizes the intended role of the school library in its "Goals of the School Library" statement:

The school library is integral to the educational process.

The following are essential to the development of literacy, information literacy, teaching, learning and culture and are core school library services:

- supporting and enhancing educational goals as outlined in the school's mission and curriculum;

- developing and sustaining in children the habit and enjoyment of reading and learning, and the use of libraries throughout their lives;

- offering opportunities for experiences in creating and using information for knowledge, understanding, imagination and enjoyment;

- supporting all students in learning and practising skills for evaluating and using information, regardless of form, format or medium, including sensitivity to the modes of communication within the community;

- providing access to local, regional, national and global resources and opportunities that expose learners to diverse ideas, experiences and opinions;

- organizing activities that encourage cultural and social awareness and sensitivity;

- working with students, teachers, administrators and parents to achieve the mission of the school; proclaiming the concept that intellectual freedom and access to information are essential to effective and responsible citizenship and participation in a democracy; and

- promoting reading and the resources and services of the school library to the whole school community and beyond.

The school library fulfills these functions by developing policies and services, selecting and acquiring resources, providing physical and intellectual access to appropriate sources of information, providing instructional facilities and employing trained staff (www.unesco.org/webworld/libraries/manifestos/school_manifesto.html).

It is instructive to note the differences in school library roles and structure in the USA and Europe. Knuth developed a spectrum of school library exemplars found worldwide in her study of library services within schools. Knuth found that "school library" encompassed everything from a simple cabinet in a classroom to a fully integrated school library media center. According to her study (1999), countries that do not provide funds or training for school libraries follow more of a traditional textbook approach to the curriculum and rely on public libraries for providing resources and programs. This is the situation we observed in school and libraries we toured in Catalunya, including what we experienced at the SEK.

Libraries at the SEK: bibliotecas and aula bibliotecas

The existing concept of the biblioteca at the Col-legi SEK Catalunya was the traditional, passive "book room" - one for the primary grades and one for the secondary school. These "libraries" contained mostly references books and teaching resources for faculty; their organization was by subject, not by any accepted library cataloging system, and did not appear to be staffed or maintained by anyone from the school.

When we asked teachers why there did not appear to be a strong presence of school libraries in Spain, they had difficulty answering us. Although many teachers asserted that their schools had libraries, they later admitted that they were not well organized and not staffed by school librarians. They explained that school libraries as we know them in the USA do not exist in Spain. As one teacher said, "It's just doesn't exist in the culture". In Spain, students use the public library to find books and resources they need for school projects. One primary teacher explained, "There are resources outside the school (in public and academic libraries), but not inside the school; and these are not directly related to the educational program" ([7] Jansen, 2005).

We interviewed public librarians near the Col-legi SEK Catalunya about their involvement with the local schools, and they confirmed that students generally came to the public library for assistance with research on school projects, in addition to seeking pleasure reading and using the internet for entertainment. The public libraries often hosted school groups for orientation sessions and guidance designed to help specific teachers with their student's research projects.

As it was our goal to help the primary program at the Col-legi SEK establish an English language library, we became very curious about what kinds of meanings the Spanish word for library, biblioteca , had for the teachers and the students at the SEK. We studied the ways in which the concept of biblioteca was used in the school and developed a classification scheme that clarifies the different meanings this concept has for teachers, students and administrators at the Col-legi SEK:

- Biblioteca(1): dedicated classrooms holding an assortment of fiction, nonfiction and textbooks in English, Spanish and Catalan. Typically a loosely organized storehouse of books, not staffed or maintained by a designated teacher. The SEK had two bibliotecas , one for the primary program and one for the secondary program.

- Biblioteca(2): Bins or boxes in pre school and primary classrooms housing a collection of books in English, Spanish and Catalan to promote independent reading. Many classrooms had these bins. As teachers rotate from classroom to classroom the take their portable biblioteca with them.

- Aula biblioteca: a physical space of shelving and book collection in English, Spanish and Catalan in a corner of the classroom to promote independent reading or classroom reference activities. A few classrooms in the primary program had shelving labeled aula biblioteca (classroom library).

The ELALC concept and implementation

The types of classroom libraries and book spaces we observed at the SEK are mentioned by [8] Knuth (1999) and align with Knuth's descriptions of school libraries found in many parts of Britain and Europe. These types of school libraries serve primarily as book depositories and quiet spaces and are not integrated into the school's educational program. When we developed our proposal for the Col-legi SEK primary grades' English Language Arts Library Classrooms (ELALCs), we knew we would be working with existing concepts of how libraries functioned in Spanish culture. We were very aware of the fact that these perspectives had to change if the ELALCs were going to be successful. First, teachers would need to understand that the shelves designated aula biblioteca , intended to supplement textbook readings, would take a more central place in the classroom curriculum. Our goal was to shift perceptions of a classroom library into a library classroom - for the aula biblioteca to become a biblioteca aula.

For this shift in perception and use to occur and to succeed, books and other educational materials on the shelves would be used more extensively by students to supplement and enhance their English language activities, and become an integral part of the EFL program. In addition, students would be introduced to basic information literacy concepts, such as the difference between fiction and nonfiction, the kinds of information sources contained in a book, how to evaluate information and how a library is organized for finding information for specific research projects. These skills teach students become effective users of information and ideas in accordance with the UNESCO/IFLA School Library Manifesto .

As our ELALC proposal developed, we began discussing the concepts with some of the primary English teachers. Overall, they expressed enthusiasm for the idea, as the expanded English language resources would encourage students and parents to interact with the language in more ways and for longer periods of time. The teachers saw advantages to having the students take books home to read independently and with their parents. They also saw the classroom library as an environment that supported the English curriculum, which already was infused with language arts activities such as storytelling, reading and writing. Out of these discussions, we developed an overarching goal for the project - to create a "library learning environment" for English language activities, thus immersing students in a wide variety of English language materials and resources, as well as introducing them to basic library organization and information literacy concepts.

As we developed the proposal for the ELALCs, and grew to understand the existing meanings of biblioteca and aula biblioteca at the school, we employed these concepts in our proposal. To create a new concept of a classroom library, we created a "library classroom" by reversing the concept of the aula biblioteca to biblioteca aula . In this way, the library became a more integrated part of the classroom, a classroom inside a library, rather than a library in a classroom.

In design of the physical classroom space, the classroom library no longer was limited to a box of books or a corner of the classroom. The ELALC design included extensive library shelving along the classroom walls for fiction, nonfiction titles and audiovisual materials. Also included in the room were a story time area for group language arts activities, and a stage area for student presentations and dramatic interpretation activities. The addition of video projection and computer equipment to provide multimedia resources to the teachers and students was another suggestion for the biblioteca aula . The organization of the library classroom follows the principles of school library organization, with fiction shelved using alphabetical organization, and nonfiction using the Universal Decimal Classification system.

The formal proposal for the ELALC was received warmly by the school administrators at the Col-legi SEK Catalunya, as it was tailored to assist in improving the English language skills of the students, which was a high priority for the primary program. We were also pleased by the success of our proposal with regards to professional development for the English language teachers in the Col-legi SEK primary grades. Because school libraries in Spain were rare, and trained school librarians even more so, the school administration recognized the need for additional training in school librarianship skills for the English teachers, in a context where school libraries were an integrated part of the school curriculum.

Based on our proposal, the Col-legi SEK administration decided to initiate a pilot project by implementing two ELALCs in the first and second grades. To support implementation of the program the school administrators agreed to send two English teachers from the SEK to the university campus for additional training in school librarianship skills. The proposed visit, scheduled for July 2005, also incorporated professional collection development and other library administrative training. We saw this professional development workshop as an opportunity to expand the English teachers' notion of the school library at the Col-legi SEK beyond the existing concepts of the aula biblioteca and biblioteca publica to embrace a more integrated approach. We hoped to guide them into using the ELALCs with a more expansive and integrated library curriculum.

As part of their two-week training the teachers from the Col-legi SEK toured local school libraries and visited with school librarians; they also participated in workshops on collection development, information literacy and library management and reviewed children's fiction and nonfiction titles at the local Public Library. Selecting useful books and audiovisual resources for the primary grades was a top priority for the English teachers, as the multimedia formats and bilingual books would enhance the students' language comprehension and literacy skills. A collection development and management workshop formed part of the school library administration skills training sessions. We were particularly conscious, from the American perspective, to suggest developing a collection that contained diverse, multicultural sources of children's literature. It was important for us to realize, as the instructors of the workshop, the differences between European-Spanish culture, and especially Catalunyan culture, as distinct from South and Central American-Spanish cultures and customs. It was a challenge to find children's books relevant specifically to the rich Catalunyan heritage, so in some cases, the teachers had to rely on their own regional children's publishers for materials

As a result of the collection development and management workshop and their interactions with local school library media specialists and public librarians, the English teachers developed an extensive bibliography of print and media titles to be purchased by Col-legi SEK for the primary grades. The teachers then created a presentation for the Col-legi SEK administration on their work at the university. It was very informative and rewarding for us to monitor and observe the change in how the teachers perceived the role their ELALCs would play in the SEK English curriculum. In initial interviews, the teachers' interests were in creating a more enriched learning environment for using a developmental literacy method for teaching English.

They stated that their goals were to improve students' grasp of English by having access to more reading materials at their language level. As one teacher put it, "We want to submerge the kids in the English language ... Before, the library corner was a box of books, but this will create a whole environment for English and be a more comfortable place for them to learn and grow" ([1] Corominas, 2005).

The teachers' expectations were that with a more enriched environment of print, audio and visual media, the students would read, see and hear more English and improve their vocabulary and comprehension. At the beginning of the training sessions, the primary goal the SEK teachers had in mind was to examine as many English titles as possible and develop a bibliography of English language resources for their classrooms. At the end of the two weeks, as a part of the program evaluation process, the teachers were asked about what they learned and how it would benefit their teaching at the SEK. In their responses, both teachers demonstrated a more complete understanding of the role a school library played as an integrated part of the curriculum.

In addition to understanding the importance of a school library in promoting reading, the teachers understood the critical role played by school libraries in promoting information literacy and lifelong learning. According to one of the SEK teachers:

From my point of view ELALC is an innovation in our school environment as we are merging the American library concept inside a classroom in order to support and enhance the English curriculum taught in our school. It is important to keep in mind that this is not the way we use the school library in the traditional Spanish system ([7] Jansen, 2005).

According to another teacher, the training at WKU not only expanded her concept of the school library but also provided materials and guidance for creating a library program within her own classroom:

During our stay at WKU I got to both study the theoretic side of collection management and also see and experience how librarians did it themselves. We also got a lot of information on how to approach and teach Information Literacy, from books and classes but also from worksheets librarians used or some we created ourselves. In sum, this has been a great immersion in the media specialist world and a really good training for this incredible task we are about to start. I am going back home with clearer ideas of what needs to be done ([1] Corominas, 2005).

At the end of the workshop we introduced the idea of the library media specialist as instructional leader and let the teachers know that as school innovators, they were also in a leadership position. Although this idea made them feel uncomfortable, both teachers shared a vision for incorporating the ELALC concept in all the primary grades. They were now equipped with the knowledge, skills and motivation to facilitate this change. As one teacher said:

Our goals are teaching information literacy, helping them to become lifelong learners as well as independent readers in another language. We must keep our goals in perspective. I am teaching second graders and I can ask from them to an extend they will learn a lot from me but only if this goes on it will have an impact on their education. This means consistency working on this new approach and with time they will achieve it. To succeed this project needs to go on to higher grades or our effort will be completely pointless ([7] Jansen, 2005).

In evaluating the overall goals of the ELALC concept, another teacher stated:

The ELALC being an English collection amplifies the kids' learning in a lot of ways. I think I will present this to the parents as the perfect corner for a different type of educational activity, where reading, having fun and learning will all mix up in one. They will use the ELALC as their favorite Storytelling corner, as their research base when a project is going on, as a way of looking for books and reading for pleasure and also to be mature enough to pick books, take them home and complete reports about them. Engaging the families with the books that can be taken home is also a novelty and I think it will be very well received from the parents ([1] Corominas, 2005).

ELALCs, EFL and facilitating change

As the implementation of the ELALCs at the Col-legi SEK Catalunya is in its first year, the effectiveness of the strategy to integrate concepts of a school library into a content-based foreign language program is still in the implementation and evaluation process. As part of an exchange program between the university and the SEK Catalunya, graduate students in Library Media Education will assist with this process by spending part of their practicum with the SEK teachers to help with library management and program implementation plans.

Through our involvement with the ELALC project we learned that when working cross-culturally to implement a new educational program, it is important to take into account the existing cultural, social, political and economic realities. According to [8] Knuth (1999) "an unchallenged and uncritical commitment to existing national models can result in rote implementation, stagnation of the profession, wholesale export of these models to developing countries and too little thoughtful consideration of their actual appropriateness in different culture" (p. 33). For this reason, when we developed our proposal for implementing ELALCs in the SEK Catalunya, we expanded upon existing perceptions of classroom libraries, the aulas bibliotecas to develop a hybrid model that incorporated a library curriculum into an English language program in library classroom or biblioteca aula setting.

A literature-based approach to language learning naturally requires a library, rich in resources in a variety of formats to develop skills, and promote the appreciation of reading, writing, listening and speaking in a foreign language. In addition, a resource-rich library environment is a more motivating and student centered environment for learning. These are beliefs that are widely held by school librarians, literacy specialists and many language teachers as well. The natural next step is for librarians and language teachers to collaborate more frequently on developing an enriched environment for language instruction in schools. The creation of the ELALC for the primary English program at the Col-legi SEK is one example of how collaboration between library media specialists, English language specialists, school administrators and classroom teachers can create an innovative learning environment to enhance student learning and motivation to learn.

The process of developing and implementing ELALCs in the primary grades at the SEK is an example for how school libraries can be successfully integrated into a foreign language program that uses a content-based approach to the curriculum. In addition, the consultative process to develop the ELALCs is an example of how change can be implemented cross culturally.

This project illustrates how important it is for researchers and educational consultants working internationally to understand different cultural norms to enable successful collaboration with their clients. Only with international understanding and collaboration is it possible to create a flexible approach to implementing innovative educational programs that combine both domestic and foreign concepts into their development and implementation plans. By engaging in this process, both parties benefit from a new understanding of their teaching discipline in a global context. The collaboration between the university and the Col-legi SEK Catalunya to develop ELALCs is an example of how the process can succeed and lead to increased student learning and motivation to achieve.

References

1. Corominas, A. (2005), Personal interview, 15 July 2005.

2. Ghosn, I. (2004), "Story as culturally appropriate content and social context for young English language learners: a look at Lebanese primary school classes", Language, Culture, and Curriculum, Vol. 17 No. 2, pp. 109-6.

3. Harcourt School Publishers (2005), Harcourt Trophies, Harcourt School Publishers, Orlando, FL.

4. Hernandez, J.G. and Urena, C.P. (2003), "Information literacy developments and issues in Spain", Library Review, Vol. 52 No. 7, pp. 340-48.

5. IFLA/UNESCO (2000), IFLA/ UNESCO School Library Manifesto, available at: www.ifla.org/VII/s11/pubs/manifest.htm (accessed 30 September 2006).

6. Jannuzi, C. (1998), "Key concepts in FL literacy: phonemic awareness", Literacy Across Cultures, Vol. 1 No. 2, available at: www2.aasa.ac.jp/∼dcdycus/LAC97/phonics.htm (accessed 30 September 2006).

7. Jansen, A. (2005), Personal interview, 15 July 2005.

8. Knuth, R. (1999), "On a spectrum: international models of school librarianship", Library Quarterly, Vol. 69 No. 1, pp. 33-56.

9. Kostka (2004), VII Convencion en SEK-Catalunya, Col-legi SEK-Catalunya, La Garriga.

10. Krashen, S. (2004), The Power of Reading, 2nd ed., Libraries Unlimited, Westport, CT.

11. Loertscher, D. and Todd, R. (2003), We Boost Achievement, Hi Willow Research and Publishing, Castle Rock, CO.

12. Naidoo, J. (2005), "Informational empowerment: using informational books to connect the library media center program with sheltered instruction", School Libraries Worldwide, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp. 132-52.

13. National Reading Panel (NRP) (2002), Scientific Research Base. Harcourt Trophies, ERIC Reading, English and Communication Clearinghouse, Florida, ED468696.

14. Otaiba, S. et al. (2005), "Reviewing core kindergarten and first grade reading programs in light of no child left behind: an expository study", Reading and Writing Quarterly, Vol. 21 No. 4, pp. 377-400.

15. Oxford, R. (2001), "Integrated skills in the ESL/EFL classroom", ERIC Digest, ED456670.

16. Reynolds, B. (1998), "Phonemic awareness: is it language specific?", Literacy Across Cultures, Vol. 2 No. 2, available at: www2.aasa.ac.jp/∼dcdycus/LAC98/SEP98/reyno998.htm (accessed 30 September 2006).

17. Singh, D. (1997), "The state of the world's school libraries", in Haycock, K. and Woolls, B. (Eds), School Librarianship: International Issues and Perspectives, LMC Source, Castle Rock, CO.

   

Further reading

18. Institucion Educativa SEK (2004), SEK Noticias, Institucion Educativa SEK, Madrid.

Appendix

Corresponding author

Roxanne M. Spencer can be contacted at: [email protected]