A typology of Pacific countries is attempted based on economic systems and degree of socioeconomic development using various indicators (per capita income, literacy, life span). Dimensions of language are then grafted onto these grids and an attempt is made to qualitatively correlate socioeconomic development with various manifestations of…

What the classroom of the next century will be like can only be speculated upon, but, almost certainly, any changes will require self-examination of the human essence in relation to technology. One outcome of technological change may be increased freedom for humans to relate to each other on a more human basis. Also, it appears that education will…

Because any reading or writing research project or teaching method rests on some kind of epistemological assumptions and some models of reading and writing processes, a coherent theoretical approach to the interrelationships of the reading and writing processes is needed. In light of the post-Einsteinian scientific paradigm and Peircean semiotics,…

Argues for the existence of two types of communities other than the diglossic deaf communities--isolated and developing deaf communities. The history, sign language and finger spelling of the Grand Cayman deaf community are discussed. As the deaf community develops, it is thinning out and breaking up. (PJM)

In some institutions offering certification for bilingual education and ESL teachers, the corresponding mainstream programs do little to ready their students to work effectively with language minority children. Yet today's mainstream classrooms are linguistically and culturally diverse, and all teachers must appreciate the role of language and…

Describes the alternating and mixed use of Swedish and Finnish in a company in the bilingual city of Vasa, Finland. Tradition, language knowledge of the employees, and occasional factors determine use in internal routines. Use is largely free from conflict, given that most employees know the other national language. (Author/PJM)

A discussion of globalization is presented that focuses on the pros and cons of English spread. The postcolonial theoretical basis for promoting the status of second-language varieties of English, and how this impacts on the foreign-language speaker of English in the European Union, is investigated. Three primary factors, linguistic…

Presents an analysis of the English language teaching situation in Nigeria in three parts: the first traces the sociocultural, political, and educational activities in Nigeria which have influenced language activities since 1960; the second summarizes emerging trends affecting the use of English; and the third proposes a radical change in English…

The major articles in this publication devoted to applied linguistics and second language instruction include the following: (1) "The Centrality of Language: An Editorial," by James W. Marchand; (2) "Report on the Chicago Hearing of the President's Commission," by Paul A. Gaeng; (3) "Sense and Common Sense in the Study of…

Attempts to define the cultural discontinuity (between schools and students) hypothesis by distinguishing between universal, primary, and secondary discontinuities. Suggests that each of these is associated with a distinct type of school problem, and that secondary cultural discontinuities commonly affect minority students in the United States.…

Surveys the legal status of English in Israel before and since the country became independent, attitudes toward the language, its use in schools and by the media, the influence of English on Hebrew, the kinds of English used, and related topics. Since 1948, English has played an increasingly greater role. (Author/PJM)

English can be considered the number one global language. Though there are positive aspects to having a global language, it can lead to arrogance and complacency among native English-speakers and a sense of grievance and inferiority in other language groups. The paper examines reasons for the spread of English worldwide, discussing the importance…

Although there is extensive research on Anglicisms in the German language e.g. Carstensen, 1965; Carstensen, Busse & Schmude, 19936; Fink, 1970, 1980, 1995; Grlach, 2002, few studies look beyond lexical borrowing and structural impact to consider other aspects and dimensions of English-German contact in the Federal Republic of Germany. This…

This journal issue concerns research projects conducted at the Hispanic Research Center of Fordham University in New York City. In the first article, Luis R. Marcos discusses research on the psychiatric evaluation and psychotherapy of bilingual Hispanic patients, focusing primarily on linguistic factors which affect evaluation and treatment of the…

Attitudes and policies toward bilingualism in the United States have always been affected by political considerations. Although controversy over bilingualism is political in principle, it is a particular kind of political controversy, that is, a manifestation of a new stage in the history of an even larger controversy over the meaning of…