Examines the language planning situation in South Africa, where language has been instrumental in the country's transition from colonialism to apartheid to democracy. Addresses, diachronically and synchronically, the issues of language spread and use, language policy and planning, and language maintenance and shift. (Author/VWL)

Examines Nigeria's language policies in terms of (1) the historical, sociolinguistic, political, educational, and ideological contexts in which they arose; (2) their impact on patterns of language choice and use in education and other aspects of life; and (3) their implications for the theory and practice of language planning. (51 references) (GLR)

Examines two approaches to official bilingual programs in Canada, personality and territorial, applying economic analysis to language planning. Territoriality is suggested as a means of protecting threatened linguistic minorities and assisting them in retaining their cultural identity. (Author/OD)

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)

Discusses the literature on bilingualism over the last decade, emphasizing publications between 1985 and 1989. Focus is placed on the following themes: (1) definitions of the field, (2) language specific research, (3) the bilingual individual and community, (4) education and bilingualism, and (5) national bilingualism and political economy. (128…

Nigeria's language policies are examined, focusing on conflicting objectives, ideological motivations, and orientations. The conflicts are explained in terms of the sociohistorical development of the nation, its complex ethnolinguistic landscape, conflicting demands of nationalism and nationism, and the attempt to maintain cultural and linguistic…

Surveys administered to 823 Chinese in Taiwan to measure the extent of language maintenance of mother dialects and shift toward use of Mandarin revealed a substantial shift toward the use of Mandarin. Successive family generations increasingly used Mandarin, and Mandarin was generally recognized as a common language for intergroup communication.…

Overviews the Ivory Coast's sociolinguistic situation. Standard French, restricted to the elite, is threatened by the local lingua franca. The spread and functional allocations of Dyula and Popular French support the point that the pervasive use of a language does not always lead to its adoption as a national language. (CB)

Discusses the development of manual sign codes for use in the education of children with deafness as an example of language planning activity. Argues that the development of manual sign codes can be seen as a misguided effort that ignores the linguistic bases of natural sign languages and the language rights of the deaf community. (contains 84…

The European Community is facing the dilemma of respecting and maintaining Europe's traditional national languages and cultures while facilitating communication. This objective can be met by expecting all citizens to speak in their native languages but understand several others, placing emphasis on comprehension in second-language instruction.…

An interview with Umberto Eco, novelist and linguist, addresses issues in international communication of the future, and particularly the role of Esperanto in a rapidly changing, culturally diverse world society. Topics discussed include translation, native language and multilingualism, and politics of language. (MSE)

Posits a reciprocal relation between the popularization of computer-based technology and the democratization of Central/Eastern Europe. Discusses the introduction of the communicative approach to language teaching, the choice of languages in schools, and the potential of new technologies for improving global communication. Advocates coherent…

An interview with the current president of the Alliance Francaise reviews the evolution of French cultural outreach since World War II, related initiatives by the French government and private agencies, important activities of the alliance, and specific areas in which research on the role of French is needed. (MSE)

Necessary facilities for a successful implementation of bilingual education policy in a country like Nigeria are discussed. It is argued that the policy adopted there was too ambitious and unrealistic and that certain fundamental issues were ignored. Difficulties may lead to a total demise of the policy. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/LB)

Data indicate that the ability of Hungarian scientists to be heard beyond Hungary can be differentiated on the basis of their relative English proficiency. Additional data show that 40 years of required Russian study in Hungarian schools has not disseminated Russian through the Hungarian population. Implications for developing nations seeking…