Noting that reading development is a crucial factor in breaking down social, intellectual, and political barriers, this paper uses Nigeria as an example of a developing multilingual country in order to examine the problems and challenges that learners and educators in multilingual societies face. The discussion is focused on children at the…

The means by which Sri Lanka and Belize--two former British colonies differing greatly in economic development and resources--implement a language planning policy are discussed. Attention is given to educational systems, materials development, teacher training, and student attitudes toward English--four major issues in language planning currently…

Because of the significant political implications of first and second language policy, many decision-makers have been reluctant to review language policy in the context of literacy work. Issues that must be considered include the following: whether mother tongue literacy should be a precondition for introduction of a second language in…