Who wins in sociolinguistic research undertaken in minority ethnolinguistic communities? This is a question that might at first glance seem an odd one. In fact, however, the concept of winning--with the concomitant themes of games and gamesmanship, plays and players, gains and losses, rewards and punishments, and so on--is an apposite one wherever…

Discusses the importance of research on language attitudes, especially in a multilingual situation and gives examples of recent research. (EKN)

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)

Discusses the history of the decline of the use of Irish in Ireland since the 12th century and how present government policies and citizen attitudes have affected this decline. Government actions include establishing a Gaelic Board, setting nominal Irish qualifications for civil servants, and teaching Irish in the primary schools. (SED)

Discusses tensions resulting from dichotomies existing between "smaller" languages and those of wider communications. It is suggested that there are four recurring approaches for dealing with this tension: communicative language shift, defense of the more threatened variety, "localization" of the stronger language (for example,…

Presents an approach to a typological outline for categorizing minority-language situations in such areas as speaker, language, and setting juxtaposed with dimensions including sociology, linguistics, and psychology. (36 references) (Author/CB)

Focusing on Brunei, issues of bilingualism and the establishment of stable bilingualism are addressed. Forces influencing bilingual policy, the language-identity issue, need for assessment of community language status, and perceptions regarding education are discussed. Careful monitoring of Brunei's policy is suggested. (Contains 33 references.)…

Responses of Canadian university students, faculty, and townspeople to a questionnaire regarding perceptions toward multiculturalism revealed much variability in ethnic self-descriptions, suggesting that the language-identity link may not be essential for continuing identity. (Author/CB)