Describes efforts toward linguistic unification and universal literacy in the People's Republic of China. (FL)

A collectivity can be defined by the verbal instrument which binds it together. By extension of this thought of Marshall MacLuhan, the importance of the written language as normative for the uniformity, universality and preservation of the phonetic system of the language is discussed. (Text is in Spanish.) (AMH)

Discusses the issue of the use of signed language dictionaries in the standardization of signed languages with reference to the Australian Sign language (Auslan) dictionaries. Details the structure of the Auslan dictionaries and argues that bilingual, bidirectional dictionaries of this type must be produced if communities are to encourage language…

Lists competing forms in written French selected on the basis of three criteria: (1) expressions which can be written in two equally acceptable ways, (2) those in which the two forms differ slightly in meaning, and (3) those in which one form is considered correct but is now questioned. (MLA)

Presents examples of language pollution fostered by mass media which ignore distinctions in language and warns that this can weaken the general feeling for the nature of English. (MB)

Special issue on orthography. (DD)

Discusses the deviation of early Welsh literature from standard literary form and looks at the change process from the earlier literature in its oral form to written form. It is suggested that some forms and features apparent in the early literature, which suffered extinction because of a movement toward standardization, still survive in some…

Standard English has long been the unquestioned choice of a model for all language instruction, whether in native or non-native speaker countries. Fanned by the recent interest in new varieties of English, especially those in the Third World, there have been increasing claims that it is best in such English-as-a-Second-Language countries to set up…

Examines the likelihood of the dominant position of English coming under serious challenge as a world language. Discusses factors such as writing systems, standardization, and modernization.(Author/VWL)

French Creoles are spoken in many different parts of the world, including the Indian Ocean, United States, Caribbean, and South America. These Kweyol speech communities are described, in the Kweyol Project, which examines Kweyol language issues and the establishment of a Kweyol Literacy Scheme. (Contains 15 references.) (LB)

Addresses problems that arise when literacy education is brought from national and international centers to people whose identity is with local languages and literacies. Local literacies are defined with respect to different languages and writing systems, invented local literacies, and vernacular literacies. (Contains 33 references.) (Author)

English classes should develop the use of good English in student compositions, which should in turn influence student morality. (JH)

The "virtues" and "defects" of both present English spelling patterns and proposed spelling reforms are examined in this article. In lieu of reform, the author proposes that new spellings be accepted as the demand is overwhelmingly felt. An enumerated series of observations deals largely with phonetic and spelling interrelationships. (RL)