Presents an analysis of the two passive (or passive-like) constructions in Singapore English which exhibit substrate influence from Malay and Chinese. The paper shows that while substrate languages contribute to the grammar of Singapore English, the continued prestige of standard English exerts normative pressure and mitigates the effect of…

Illustrates the effects of rigid language standardization on the literary and cultural development of an ethnic minority in Finland. The article emphasizes some negative effects of language standardization vis-a-vis the culture of this minority group. (Author/PJM)

Dialect differences are a significant factor in learning to read for English-speaking adults. These differences can be used constructively to help students learn about various features of formal and nonformal English. Emphasis should be on helping students use their experiences to make global sense of the passages they read. (Author/CH)

A linguistic survey indicates that despite variations by region and social group, the French spoken by Saskatchewan francophones preserves traces of the history of the language, including anglicisms and older French expressions not much in use today. (MSE)

Shows how the writing of Asian American students often exhibits features that cause the students to be placed in ESL programs, but argues that these nonstandard forms should be seen as part of a dialect of English. Argues that teachers should be careful about assigning such students to ESL classes, which may be inappropriate and ineffective. (SR)

People frequently make assumptions about others because of their spoken or written use of a particular dialect or language. The varieties of English that people use are often regarded as indicators of corresponding intelligence, competence, motives, and morality. Such assumptions--frequently based on myths and misconceptions about the nature of…

The 75th anniversary of a city honored among other things for its role in the revival of the Hebrew language is an appropriate occasion to remind ourselves of the complex effects of language policy on education. In choosing to establish Hebrew as its standard language, Israel was working to proclaim both present and historical unity. The rapidity…