Examines effects of policies implemented by Basque Autonomous Community to reverse decline of the Basque language of Euskara and to restore its use throughout the Basque community on Rioja Alavesa, a borderland zone where Euskara has not been spoken since the middle ages. This case demonstrates the utility of a borderland context, where identities…

The purpose of the symposium was to exchange experiences in the standardization of national languages in different socio-cultural contexts. Examples of the strategies and results of such experiences in Africa, Latin America, and Europe were presented for discussion. Papers presented at the symposium include the following: "Language…

Discusses language planning in modern Spain in terms of policy formation and implementation. The article argues that the elevation of Castilian to a position of linguistic supremacy is closely connected with the history of the development of a Spanish centralized state. It is concluded that whereas linguistic pluralism exists in theory, social…

Sociolinguistic data are presented in the form of sophisticated maps and tables in this pioneering study on the status of the Basque language. Based on information collected from the 1986 census, the major demographic characteristics of Basque are examined in order to ascertain the factors and processes that have contributed to its current status.…

Provides data on the acquisition of Basque in the Basque Autonomous Community (Spain). Reports recent data and results of research studies on bilingual education and the use of Basque, and then focuses on one of the language plans developed by the Basque Government: the "Basquisation" of civil servants. Analyzes results of this plan and…

Discusses the Basque Government's policy requiring its employees to learn the minority, co-official language. Presents reasons for the plan's deficiency, including a lack of incentives for workers, and points to a more comprehensive plan for Basquisation. (16 references) (Author/CK)

This report provides an overview of bilingual education in the Basque area of Spain over the last 10 years. Since 1982, a government decree established that public education was to be conducted following 1 of 3 models of bilingual education: 1) instruction is basically in Spanish, with Basque taught as a separate course; 2) content instruction is…

A historical survey of French regional language legislation and analysis of the present state of the seven regional idioms in education, media, and government are used to illustrate the languages' severe persecution and contamination. Organizations promoting the less-used languages and the upcoming barrier-free European market accord are…

The theory and practice of assistance to speech communities whose native languages are threatened are examined. The discussion focuses on why most efforts to reverse language shift are unsuccessful or even harmful, diagnosing difficulties and prescribing alternatives based on a combination of ethnolinguistic, sociocultural, and econotechnical…

Since Franco's death in 1975, one of Spain's most pressing problems has been how to encourage regional autonomy without destroying national unity. This paper considers how two regional groups--the Catalans and the Basques--are using the schools to promote use of their traditional languages and to strengthen ethnic identity. (Author/SJL)

This regional dossier aims to provide concise, descriptive information and basic educational statistics about minority language education in a specific region of the European Union--the southwestern part of France, also known as the North Basque country. Details are provided about the features of the educational system, recent educational…

This regional dossier aims to provide concise, descriptive information and basic educational statistics about minority language education in a specific region of the European Union--the Basque country of northern Spain. Details are provided about the features of the educational system, recent educational policies, divisions of responsibilities,…

This book focuses on the minority languages of Europe, those other than the national languages of European Union member states, by looking at the demographic, sociolinguistic, and educational aspects of both regional and immigrant languages. Empirical evidence for the status of these other languages of multicultural Europe is brought together in a…

On the basis of detailed analyses of 10 threatened language-in-society constellations and three formerly endangered but now secure constellations, this book develops a closely argued theory of worldwide efforts on behalf of reversing language shift (RLS). It also applies this same line of reasoning to the problems of maintaining the…