Using as a framework the theory of the ecology of language formulated by Einar Haugen, compares two Finnish minorities in Sweden, one which ceased to exist in the middle of this century and one, the Tornedal Finnish minority, which still exists. Discusses circumstances favorable to the preservation of Finnish in the Tornedal. (SED)

The article explores the ways "uneven geographical development" conditions and is conditioned by local placemaking practices. Guided by David Harvey's work along with Henri Lefebvre's three dimensions of spatial production--spatial practices, representations of space, and spaces of representation or the "spatial imaginary"--I…

Asserts that in order to participate in and contribute to the development of a cohesive multicultural society, it is not necessary for the members of minority groups to become monolingual speakers of English, and that the goal of a multicultural society should be to appreciate the value of each cultural group. (SED)

A theoretical framework for conceptualizing different kinds of language rights and for construing the nature of the tension between them is discussed. Differences between individual and communal language rights are examined, and the latter are suggested to have sound moral foundations. Examples are drawn from Canada. (19 references) (Author/LB)

The Supreme Court of Canada has ensured that provincial legislatures are under a compulsory obligation to take measures to provide whatever type and level of rights and services are appropriate for minority-language education for the particular number of pupils involved. (MLF)

Discusses the role of the school in supporting minority group identity, particularly through language maintenance programs. While language shift may not be countered by schools acting in isolation, identity can be maintained through periods of language shift. (Author/CB)

A model of language vitality is proposed that is a function of preferences for language choice, percentage of language-minority speakers, and the expectations-based adjustment to the observed change in language vitality. It shows that long-term survival with low demolinguistic figures is possible and suggests policy guidelines for reversing…

Examines the move toward federal constitutional rights for minority language populations and the trade-off considerations of implementing such a move. It is argued that minority language populations benefit from maintenance of decentralized language policies and that state bureaucratic agencies are more protective of language minority rights than…

A discussion of the preservation of minority group languages, especially when the group is very small, in a pluriglossic community focuses on the situation of German in Sauris, Italy. The arguments commonly advanced against total linguistic assimilation into the majority language group are examined. Implications in support of minority language…

Discusses the arguments frequently made against bilingual education: equal opportunity and public identity. The assertion is made that the opportunity and public identity that we hold out for individuals of other cultures can be broadened to allow them to bring the strengths of their own cultures with them. (SED)

Provides an overview of key issues that community-based education initiatives presuppose and highlight. Argues that community-based education is fundamentally different from the more widely-known notion of community education because its implication extends beyond the local community through a critical questioning and contesting of wider…

A response to a critique of bilingual education by J. R. Edwards (1981) argues that our understanding of the nature of modern bilingualism must be broadened through a reading of the pertinent research in recent social science. This could lead to a grasping of the economic and social class dimensions of bilingualism in current urbanization and…

Examines the contributions of bilingual schools to minority language maintenance and stresses the inadvisability of relying on schools alone for this task. Uses the concepts of "primary and secondary reward systems" to argue that scholastic achievements cannot have any lasting impact without the sociopolitical and economic rewards of the primary…

Discusses the school's contribution to the transmission of cultural heritage, focusing on curriculum content rather than on language issues. The kind of conceptual framework within which overt and hidden curriculum analysis might be carried out is suggested. (SED)

Language and culture programs for children speaking a minority language are discussed and outlined in terms of psycho-educational rationales, program options, and empirical and theoretical considerations of the appropriateness of such programs. (JMF)