The U.S. population is diverse. With nearly 20% of children and adults in the United States speaking a native language other than English, the need for information about language and literacy skills has never been greater. In this revised edition of Literacy and Language Diversity in the United States (first published in 1996), the author takes a fresh look at the issues related to the differences between the literacy performance and educational achievement of language minorities and native speakers of English in this country and the social and educational policy debates that surround literacy in the 21st century.

Based on the most recent national data, the 2005 edition examines language diversity in the United States; outlines what we know about the development of English literacy, native language literacy, and literacy in two languages; and explores how to make informed national policy decisions. Literacy and Language Diversity is written for linguists, scholars, policy makers, educators, and students in teacher preparation programs.