Demographic predictions are that students with close connections to their bilingual/bicultural heritages (now labeled "language minority students" by the federal government) will be very large in number in the near future, becoming the majority in many states over the next three decades. The authors feel it is the responsibility of all educators, not just specialists, to prepare themselves to work with language minority students. This time-tested classic text (not an edited volume) integrates theory and practice and provides comprehensive coverage of bilingual and ESL issues. The text integrates the fields of ESL, bilingual, and multicultural education and provides rich examples of effective practices and their underlying research knowledge base. New to this edition are chapters on authentic assessment and special needs.