This article concerns Northern Catalonia, the part of the Catalan-speaking area that today is in France. A Catalan-speaking region until the first half of the twentieth century, the effects of Frenchification -- the acceptance of the French political and economic project in the contemporary era -- and the multiple demographic changes of the…

The scholarly praise for linguistic diversity stands in an interesting contrast to the way diversity in standard and non-standard languages is referred to in language policy discourse. Drawing on recent debates in Switzerland, this article focuses on ideologies on linguistic varieties in the German- and Romansh-speaking areas. The two contexts…

This paper tackles the important question of practitioner engagement and is the first to present an overview of relevant Gaelic medium education (GME) research. Following the formal inception in 1985, GME is now more widely available across Scotland. An overview of GME is presented and situates provision within the other Celtic minority languages…

Following Spolsky's definition of language policy, this introductory paper offers a brief reflection on the three main lines of research that are represented in this special issue regarding the relationship between internationalisation and language policies in higher education: management and planning, practices, and beliefs. In the first part, we…

Introducing a pioneering series of studies of family language policy and management, this paper points out that classic language policy dealt almost entirely with the nation-state, although it did recognise the critical role of the family in determining natural intergenerational transmission of a variety. After arguing for the need to look at each…

Greater China is used in this article to refer to mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Macao. While a holistic approach is adopted to present and compare the rapid spread of English and development in English language education in these geographically close, and sociopolitically, culturally and economically interrelated but hugely…

The language situation in the Malaysian Chinese community has undergone great changes in the past century. This paper aims to account for such changes in the framework of sociolinguistic realignment, which is both descriptive and predictive. The triglossic situation in the colonial period (1859-1957) is described; with the support of a language…

The unavoidability of language makes it critical that language policies appeal to some notion of language neutrality as part of their rationale, in order to assuage concerns that the policies might otherwise be unduly discriminatory. However, the idea of language neutrality is deeply ideological in nature, since it is not only an attempt to treat…

Profiles linguistic and cultural diversity in Bukavu, Zaire. Discusses the language and education policy of the past 20 years and argues that the policy with regard to the use of French as the educational medium should be revised. (EKN)

Explores three major problems related to the use of Kiswahili as the language of instruction in Tanzania teacher training colleges, including the lack of a clear Kiswahili academic register; inadequately prepared tutors; and problems in the dissemination of terminologies. (19 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.)…

Describes a survey in and around Grahamstown in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, which focused on the steady trickle of speakers of Xhosa into English-medium schools in the area. Examined the underlying reasons to send Xhosa children to these schools and the subsequent socio-psychological effects of the move on children. (Author/VWL)

Discusses challenges to policymakers stemming from the recent change to the use of Arabic as a medium of instruction at colleges and universities in Arabic-speaking countries, including implementation plans and attitude surveys about Arabicization. It is argued that there is a need for a long-term plan for gradual implementation of the…

Because Yugoslavia is a multinational, culturally pluralistic, and multilingual society, one of its educational aims is to develop the motivation for the equal use of its languages, so that the languages of national minorities/nationalities become appropriate instruments for communication in public and social life and are not restricted to usage…

Describes a model of bilingual-bicultural education developed for the Karaja, an indigenous group in Brazil whose language had previously been unwritten. Factors of the literacy-based model's success include indigenous teachers; teacher-developed innovations and didactic materials for the bilingual classroom; and a team-teaching approach.…