A Federal Government Policy in Nigeria aimed at unifying the country through the use of three major languages (Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo) has been inhibited because there are no teachers. Resistance from speakers of other languages to the enforced learning of one of the major languages also seems likely. Maintenance of English is suggested as the…

Reports attitudes toward a 1994 South Africa language policy that declared 11 official languages. The decision had particular significance for the South African national defense force (SANDF). Special focus is on language practices at the Sixth South African Infantry Battalion in Eastern Cape Province. (Author/VWL)

Describes two major events--mass migration to New Caledonia in the 1950s and the conversion from a protectorate to a French overseas territory in 1961--that have confronted Wallis and Futuna (Central Polynesia) with the same sociolinguistic problems that have beset other Pacific islands for decades. (Author/CB)

Discusses the policies of Sri Lanka concerning the status of Sinhala as official language and the status of Tamil and English. The first independent government relegated English to unofficial status as a language of special domains, but it has recently been suggested that it be recognized as a neutral link-language. (SED)

Examines the role of language policy in South African education. An historical overview of language planning is presented, and then several examples of current language policies are discussed, including the "Mother Tongue Principle," the introduction of Black languages into White schools, and the creation of a lexicon for the deaf. (CFM)

Proposes a standardized orthography for the English Creole vernacular of Trinadad and Tobago. The reasons for this standardization are to meet the needs of a local population writing more and more in Creole, and to prepare a standard reference dictionary of the language. (43 references) (Author/CB)

Explores the relationship between Spanish language use and ethnic identity through analysis of discourse among a Chicano family whose members had differing proficiencies in Spanish and/or English. Such factors as interaction in Anglo-dominated settings, conversational techniques, linguistic competence, and language attitudes appeared to influence…

Discusses the orthography of an unstandardized written language variety, the English-lexicon Creole used in Britain by writers of Caribbean heritage. Argues that while the spelling of Creole is highly variable, writers are choosing conventions that emphasize the differences between Creole and standard English. (Author/JL)

The historical struggle of African Americans, and around Black English Vernacular in particular, suggests that African Americans can be a significant force in the struggle for minority language rights. The African-American perspective on "English Only" is explored through a historical overview and a public-opinion survey of African…

Debate over language in education policies and practices in Lebanon has witnessed a shift in emphasis on the cultural-linguistic struggle between Arabic and French/English to emphasis on practical attitudes toward language education that is leading the country toward multilingualism. Discusses decrees and regulations issued by various governments…

Central concerns in the movement to make English the official language of the United States are reviewed, publications and activities of two major organizations supporting it are compared, and basic assumptions and directions of the movement are criticized. (21 references) (MSE)

Present-day language policy for the Navajo reflects a lengthy history of attempts to suppress indigenous language varieties. Recent rationalization is rooted in the doctrine of compensatory education, but the suppression is even more total. Alternative policies and practices, rooted in a nonprescriptive view of language variety and progressive…

Presents an overview of current language policy and planning in Macao, as well as the language situation, especially in relation to language in education. The situation of four principal types of language-medium schools is also reviewed, with a view to assessing how efficiently these schools are achieving their proclaimed goals, and what problems…

Overviews 20 years of language planning in Quebec and examines the effect of the province's institutional instability on the economy, language planning, and relations between ethnolinguistic groups. Elucidates the causes of Quebec's efforts to preserve its language and culture and concludes that the province needs its Anglophone population for the…

A controversial April 1991 proclamation made Spanish the sole official language of Puerto Rico, replacing a 1902 law declaring English and Spanish as the languages of government. This paper discusses the emotional debate and suggests that the law resulted from a powerful group opposed to U.S. statehood. (27 references) (Author/LB)