In this polylog to the special issue on "The rise of Chinese language education policies in the oil-rich Arabian Gulf: New players, discourses and linguistic markets," three researchers with different personal and professional connections to the three languages 'at play' in the region -- English, Chinese, and Arabic -- offer their…

Examined the emergence of Runyakitara as a new language in Uganda in the 1980s. The formation of Runyakitara through the realignment of four Western Bantu varieties illustrates the potential for the use of language as a resource in ethnic competition. Discusses the construction of Runyakitara in the context of the current political situation in…

Focuses on acquisition of English by speakers of Jamaican Creole. Examines historical data drawn from reports from the colonial period and highlights the systemic failure of pupils to acquire English. Discusses a recent investigation of secondary schools in postcolonial Jamaica, which finds a similar cycle of underachievement among Creole…