Linguistic and anthropological research has demonstrated that language ideologies play a complex role in contexts of language endangerment, as well as in revitalization initiatives. In this paper, we articulate some central ways in which these beliefs and interests can translate into significant barriers to successful language revitalization.…

The article reviews some of the controversial issues regarding macro- and micro-ethnographic approaches and their implications for validity of ethnographic description, discusses the notion of context and its application to various research settings, and gives an account of the various problems encountered by researchers working in bilingual…

Three aspects of the question of ethnography in education are considered: (1) an explanation of how some ethnographic methodology might be applied in ethnographic research in education; (2) some weaknesses and strengths of ethnography; and (3) a proposal for a case study in which essentials of ethnographic research might be carried out in a…

An ethnolinguistic study of a native group in Mali provides a French teacher interested in teaching "civilization" some insights into techniques of cultural observation and analysis outside the usual realm of mass media and printed materials. (MSE)

Examines acculturation patterns in the language of Samoans in San Francisco. (AM)

Data from videotaped conversations in a number of East African languages and in English are used to establish the existence of a preference in the African interactional systems for the use of verbal feedback by listeners in contrast to a preference for the use of non-verbal (gaze, head nod) feedback in English. This difference is related to…

Presents a look at some of the research being done on the origins of language. (BB)

Paulo Freire's educational philosophy is analyzed to illustrate how attempts to liberate pedagogy from cultural domination can themselves become culturally specific and hegemonic. Freire takes for granted Western assumptions about individualism, progress, and secularization, although he hoped to liberate traditional cultures from culturally…

William Labov says that the linguistics deficit theory is incorrect. He interviewed Larry, who speaks nonstandard Negro English (NNE), and Charles, a speaker of standard English, and concluded that NNE is clear, concise, and logical and that standard English is mainly characterized by its verbosity. This article critiques that interview. (RM)

An eclectic, ethnographic methodology is presented for studying the content and acquisition of children's environmental learning, knowledge, and interaction in a transitional economy in rural Sudan. Drawing on methods of geography, linguistics, and anthropology, the paper attempts to provide a valid alternative to most of the methods used in…

Seven original research papers by faculty and students of the Linguistics Department and other related departments of the University of Kansas are presented. The titles and authors are as follows: "Particles in Tojolabal Mayan Discourse" (Jill Brody); "One Hundred Years of Lakota Linguistics (1887-1987)" (Willem J. de Reuse);…

This volume brings together the insights of more than 40 contributors who demonstrate that anthropology has timely, important, and enduring messages for students and the public. The book provides the first comprehensive examination of teaching issues across all the subfields of anthropology since the 1963 publication of "The Teaching of…

The chapters in this collection were largely compiled from presentations at inservice teacher education mini-courses and workshops held at Boston University during 1977-1980. The following articles are included: (1) "Language Policies in American Education: A Historical Overview," by Maria Estela Brisk; (2) "Understanding the Role of Language in…

Argues that teachers of English as a Second Language should be cautious in using critical thinking pedagogies in the classroom. Notes that critical thinking is a social practice attracting criticism for being exclusive and that skills related to critical thinking are culturally based and do not seem to transfer beyond a narrow instructional…

This is the first comprehensive study in English of African languages in the context of their cultural setting. It may be used as a basic text in survey courses on African languages as well as a supplemental text in practical language courses. No linguistic background is necessary for understanding this book--the basic concepts are explained,…