In the new European higher education space, Universities in Europe are exhorted to cultivate and develop multilingualism. The European Commission's 2004-2006 action plan for promoting language learning and diversity speaks of the need to build an environment which is favourable to languages. Yet reality indicates that it is English which reigns…

This paper examines the English language from an international perspective, highlighting its role, attainments, power, use, and cultural influence. It begins by discussing the use of English versus the use of Arabic as a language of higher education in Jordan, delineating conflicts between the two languages and defining both in terms of their…

Discusses the variety of language centers on college and university campuses, ranging from the rationale for the center to questions and objections about its existence on campus. Discusses relation of the center to the foreign language department, the parameters of the position of center director, the role of the less commonly taught languages,…

This paper discusses the relationship between mother tongue, foreign language, and thinking. It is based on a pilot study carried out with 30 Finnish university students majoring in English philology. All students filled in a questionnaire and four were selected for an interview. In the questionnaires and interviews, the students were asked to…

Investigates the linguistic attitudes of college students in Lebanon toward the languages that help define the multilingual character of the country, namely, Arabic, French, and English. Students completed a questionnaire that assessed their attitudes towards the utility of each of the three languages. Results show students perceived French and…

A study revealed two problems that influence Australian students' attitudes toward the learning of Indonesian. Internal problems related to use of teaching facilities. External problems included (1) lack of knowledge about Indonesia in Queensland, (2) lack of awareness of importance of learning Indonesian, (3) marginal position of Indonesian in…

A history of the teaching of Hebrew to adults chronicles both the role of Hebrew as a unifying force among Jewish people around the world and efforts to improve the effectiveness of instruction. It is proposed that the rebirth of Hebrew has been due to substantial work, and contributed to the language's expansion from a holy to a literary and…

A study investigated cognitive, social, and psychological aspects of language and literacy among five young adult Ethiopian students who had emigrated to Israel. The subjects were four males and one female aged 18-25, enrolled in an Israeli university's pre-academic program. All had come to Israel a number of years previously, when their…

This study compared communication and interaction patterns in a college class in Dutch as a second language. Subjects were 16 native-English-speaking students. Two lessons, one taught using cooperative learning (CL) and one using teacher-centered instruction (TC), were videotaped and analyzed. The CL lesson consisted of a group reading game. The…

A study investigated (1) the role of English as a language of power, and how it has affected multilingualism in Canada and South Africa, (2) the nature and implementation of South Africa's multilingual policy, (3) how South Africa's language education policy and policy implementation compare to those in Canada, (4) how South African language…

A study of the relationship between language learners' attitudes and their development of language proficiency was based on a survey of 50 Yugoslavian university students of English as a Second Language (ESL). The subjects were taking English to fulfill a second language requirement. They were first administered two written attitudinal surveys in…

Six essays on native language instruction in Africa are presented. "Why Teach in an African Language?" examines the rationale and advantages of teaching in African mother tongues, and "Why Teach an African Language as a School Subject" discusses the need for such instruction. "Do African Languages Have Sufficient Potential…

A discussion of Nigeria's national language policy looks at the official structure for language instruction, its rationale, and perceived problems and possibilities. The policy requires that the mother tongue or language of the immediate community be the medium of instruction at pre-primary and early primary levels, with English emerging as medium…

The years since the fall of the Soviet Union have seen dramatic changes in international relations, global economics, global communications, population migration, and international organized crime. A survey of language needs in the federal government identified 43 countries of primary importance, 19 of secondary importance, and 30 languages…

Examines the linguistic isolation of 11 million Magyar-speaking Hungarians in a context of political, economic, and educational change. Changes in foreign language learning since 1989 are outlined, and the declining popularity of Russian and increasing interest in studying the languages of Western Europe are discussed. (Contains 13 references.)…