The concept of a "bilingual district" (localized area in which the main language is different from surrounding districts) has been inherent in Canada's official policy for the last ten years. However, sociopolitical changes since the passage of the Official Languages Act of 1974, especially the election of a separatist government in…

Discusses the changing status of Quebec French, as witnessed by laws governing its use and official nature, its actual usage as a communication tool, and attitudes of Anglophones and Francophones toward it. (AM)

Outlines the current language situation in Singapore in relation to demographic and political changes. Reasons are given for the preeminence of English and the push for Mandarin Chinese as the official language. The role of Premier Lee Kwan Yew and the media in propounding the Republic language policy is discussed. (Author/PJM)

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…

Discusses childhood bilingualism, reviewing the one person-one language principle and the criticism against it, discussing shortcomings of the criticism, examining what the principle can do to bilingual families, and noting the sociolinguistic and developmental effects that one person-one language principle can have on the acquisition of the…

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)

Discusses the work of the Institute of the Russian Language of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which has two main responsibilities: to review and correct official documents, and to prepare new terms and words. Also, it maintains a radio program which answers the listeners' questions about the Russian language. (PJM)

The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of bilingual education programs in Peru. The first part of the paper consists of a general discussion of Peruvian history and the problem of native language suppression under Spanish colonialism and, later, a Spanish dominant independent government. Educational policies and the…

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)

Discusses the development and progress of an international corpus of English (ICE) containing a regional corpora sampling of the standard varieties of English in countries where it is a first language, and the national varieties in countries where it is an official additional language. (GLR)

Examines current language policy in Canada, particularly regarding Quebec, and discusses possible future developments. (AM)

While English was supported as an official language in India during her pre-independence days, it was during the post-independence days that English bilingualism became widespread. The influence of English can be seen in higher education, elementary and secondary education, national institutions, in the press, and in broadcasting, publishing, and…

The National University of Ireland has rejected a move to drop the Irish language requirement. This is in line with government policy, since 1913, to promote Gaelic as the main language, particularly through education. But surveys show a decline in the use of Irish in the schools. (SJL)

After presenting background on the British colonial period, 1786-1957, the author examines recent Malaysian educational policy for national integration of this multicultural society, through provision of equal opportunities for all ethnic groups and the use of Malay as the official language. Successes and problems are noted. (SJL)

Many minority languages are unwritten, undocumented, and thus considered unsuitable for institutional communication and for inclusion in national literacy campaigns. Literacy should be set in a context that puts the local people at the center of the process, respects their cultural identity, and enables them to set their own agenda for…