Presents evidence for a causal relationship between particular sociolinguistic contexts and a direction of language change in morphosyntax by identifying a class of contact languages that are similar. They are similar in that they are 'lower' languages used in multilingual diglossic speech communities that are isolated from the standard and…

It is argued that in the states of Francophone Africa, French is not always the language of the masses and that in light of sociolinguistic data, choice, or actual usage, new language policy accentuating national idioms is more viable than exclusive promotion of French. (38 references) (Author/MSE)

Discussion of the Arabic version of "Sesame Street" addresses the choice of a simplified modern standard usage as the series' language, definition of this language variety in terms of its distinguishing linguistic characteristics, and the implications of this choice for the future of Arabic and Arabic language instruction. (Author/MSE)

Haitians immigrating to the United States speak Creole; at the same time, they frequently claim French as their native language and want their children to be educated in French as well as in English. The teacher of the Haitian immigrant child soon learns that the language which will influence the child's learning of English is not French, but…