The European Community is facing the dilemma of respecting and maintaining Europe's traditional national languages and cultures while facilitating communication. This objective can be met by expecting all citizens to speak in their native languages but understand several others, placing emphasis on comprehension in second-language instruction.…

An interview with the current president of the Alliance Francaise reviews the evolution of French cultural outreach since World War II, related initiatives by the French government and private agencies, important activities of the alliance, and specific areas in which research on the role of French is needed. (MSE)

Examines the role of language as a catalyst for change and as a potential barrier to growth in Europe, an area where migration is historically less extensive than in the United States. Issues considered include the emergence of the European Union and related policy changes, trends in personal mobility, language education practices and policies,…

The text presents an introduction to sociolinguistics for second language teachers, focusing on social dimensions of language likely to be of interest to this group. The first group of chapters addresses the manner in which the larger social and political context affects language broadly: "Language Attitudes, Motivation, and Standards" (Mary…

Volume 19 of the newsletter of the National Association for Bilingual Education, which spans the period from September 1995 to August 1996, contains a variety of articles on issues and developments in bilingual education policy and programs, including: two way bilingual education; language information from the 1990 Census; cultural influence and…