Discusses three reasons for using mother tongue in education including preservation of cultural traditions, development of creative thought, and links between school and home. Describes creation of language-neutral materials developing graphic and symbolic skills other than writing as way to minimize cost. (Author/BK)

Presents and evaluates the arguments and research evidence for and against mother tongue (MT) use in bilingual classrooms. The article endorses the claim that MT use bolsters second- language development, cognitive development, and content learning. Bourke's response focuses on arguments for and against MT use, recent research on MT use, and…

Describes the newly emerging debate in England known as "bilingualism and mother-tongue teaching" by discussing: (1) the general scene, including historical background and educational and minority group attitudes; (2) the main component of the mother-tongue debate embodied in administrative questions; and (3) certain features of the wider context…

Discusses research related to bilingual education as a means of providing background information for policy makers, and then discusses a number of bilingual education models. Suggests separate models of language-in-education policies for the Melanesian, Micronesian/Polynesian parts of the South Pacific and for Fiji. (Author/VWL)

Discusses some current developments in mother tongue teaching in Great Britain and the United States. British approaches to bilingual education, curricular materials, and teaching methods are highlighted in the description of the Mother Tongue Project and are compared with American projects and studies. Considers the controversy surrounding mother…

Explores historical and intellectual causes for the lack of interdisciplinarity between language education and development economics. Reviews three development settings in Bangladesh, Egypt, and Latin America that illustrate the need to devolve responsibility for development and notes language and literacy play a vital role in this process.…

Outlines recommendations for classroom teaching of English as a second language and the national language, Malay. It is noted that these recommendations are unlikely to be widely implemented as long as such external factors as a highly structured syllabus and an emphasis on written work remain in place. Khalid's response addresses the issue of…

Considers the pedagogical validity of English immersion education in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands, Melanesian countries of the South Pacific. Questions the appropriateness of implementing a policy of English language immersion education in a postcolonial, multilingual Third World context where support for first language maintenance and second…

Discusses the factors to consider when choosing which language or dialect to use in multilingual or multidialectal societies for literature and educational programs. Comprehension is the primary factor to consider but negative attitudes towards one's own language or a second language may hinder the acceptance of literature. (SED)

Explores parts of the phenomenon of the support for, and hostility toward, the use of English in education in Asian bilingual systems. The article then sketches an educational alternative capable of making the language a shared resource for all its stakeholders. Tsui's response addresses the question of whether educational solutions are capable of…

Charts the recent debates in France in response to the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages that, if ratified and implemented, would grant limited protection to minority regional languages there. Examines the tenor and substance of the debates surrounding the fate of the charter. Argues that much of its opposition rests on France's…

Examines two initiatives to revitalize Quechua, the language of the Incas: Bolivia's 1994 reform incorporating the provision of bilingual intercultural education; and a community-based effort to incorporate Quichua as a second language instruction in a school in Ecuador. Points out that census records and sociolinguistic studies document a…

Analyzes the syllabus used in Brunei schools, questioning the introduction and timing of school subjects, particularly in relation to which language medium is used for teaching, and suggesting an alternative syllabus. Samuel's response questions whether Jones' recommendations are workable and acceptable in the Brunei situation. (33 references)…

Identifies five recurring themes in the literature on bilingualism: role of language policy or planning activities in educational reform; concern with nurturing the mother tongue and facilitating transfer of skills across languages; importing a model versus a "cycle of discovery"; practical problems that impede implementation of…

Using Hindi and Urdu as examples, illustrates the shortcomings in the definition of South Asian languages that has been attempted in Britain so far. Argues that description and definition of a language have to include aspects of culture, religion, script, politics, and the speakers' own perception of their language and language choice. (SED)