Two models of language contact, one concerning linguistic development and the other a general model of language contact, are suggested as a result of a recent study of written languages in India. (Author/MSE)

Discusses dilemmas that confront authors who must decide whether to address a relatively restricted audience in their native tongue or compete for a much larger public by either learning more widespread language or relying on translations. Focus is on the issue of free or restricted exchange of texts. What happens when more authors and readers…

Proposes a standardized orthography for the English Creole vernacular of Trinadad and Tobago. The reasons for this standardization are to meet the needs of a local population writing more and more in Creole, and to prepare a standard reference dictionary of the language. (43 references) (Author/CB)

The study reported here focused on the uses of the word Esperanto in selected English, French, and German newspapers over an 18-month period. Most uses were metaphorical: generally positive in articles on arts or technology, generally negative in political contexts. (Author/VWL)

Examines Korea's experience with abandoning Chinese characters for an all-phonetic script. Despite efforts to replace characters with "all-hangul" in South Korea, reform opponents reinstated Chinese characters. In North Korea, a similar reform was also rescinded. Certain "linguistic" problems need to be solved for the reform to…

Discusses the orthography of an unstandardized written language variety, the English-lexicon Creole used in Britain by writers of Caribbean heritage. Argues that while the spelling of Creole is highly variable, writers are choosing conventions that emphasize the differences between Creole and standard English. (Author/JL)

Drawing from the study of efforts to revitalize Quichua in the Southern Ecuadorian Highlands, this article describes what may be some of the common language corpus and language status transformations that threatened languages undergo during the process of language revitalization. (Author/VWL)

Analyzes the major linguistic and sociopolitical factors responsible for the underdevelopment of written languages based on non-Mandarin dialects. Explores language planning efforts in Taiwan to standardize a written language based upon the local dominant dialect. Argues that the social and political costs of the success of dialect writings may be…