Literacy learning practices in the context of a girls' school in Pakistan are described as part of a larger study. "School ka sabaq" or "school lesson" is recognized as involving reading and writing activities as well as behavior particular to the institution of the school. The goals of school ka sabaq, which are to pass exams…

This study gathered information on the acquisition of affixes in Urdu by native children. The research was carried out in the city of Irbid, in northern Jordan, and in the capital city of Amman. Data consist of tape-recorded, naturally occurring and elicited speech of 13 children aged 2.4 to 9 years. The children were native speakers of Urdu,…

Many Western scholars consider Hindi and Urdu as a single linguistic entity. The author concedes that "in an important sense this is correct." Hindu and Muslim inhabitants of the same village behave like members of a single speech community. However, minor differences in the phonology, grammar, and lexicon are underscored by the…

To raise the achievement of every student in the state, Maryland implemented "Achievement Matters Most," a new plan for public elementary and secondary schools that sets goals in the areas of achievement, teaching, testing, safety, and family involvement in schools. This Urdu-language guide for parents outlines the goals and…

The paper addresses a key issue in language planning of the third world countries, specifically Pakistan, a country that remained under the shackles of Colonialism till 1947. But, still the country does not have a clear cut language policy. Being richly multilingual and multicultural, it had to cope with the problem of a second language, the…

The purpose of this text is to teach present-day spoken Urdu to foreigners who need the language for their everyday activities. While drawing from the results of modern linguistic science, an attempt has been made to approach the problem of learning Urdu in a practical way. The "spiral approach" is used. After the sounds of Urdu are introduced in…

Traces the controversy about the medium of instruction in Pakistan, beginning with the use of English for elitist education in pre-partition days. Notes that the official policy is opposed by the indigenously educated proto-elite, who would find entry into positions of power easier if Urdu was used and nobody was educated in English. (63…

This paper explores what kinds of advantages and strengths the process of learning to read simultaneously in different languages and scripts might bring about. It is based on a socio-cultural view of learning and literacy and examines early literacy in three parallel literacy classes in Watford, England. It analyses the learning experiences of…

A study investigated the English language needs of five minority language communities in England (Bengali, Gujerati, Punjabi Urdu, Punjabi Gurmukhi, Chinese) and four refugee groups (Bosnians, Kurds, Somalis, Tamils). Data were gathered from 997 individuals in the language groups and 176 in the refugee groups using a test of listening, reading,…

Each of the seven annotated bibliographies in this volume is concerned with the acquisition of English as a Second Language (ESL) by groups of learners who share a common first language or culture. Each bibliography was compiled by an advanced ESL student who is a native speaker of a language referenced by the bibliography. The first bibliography,…

In India, the use of language dialect and style, like many aspects of Indian thought and life, follows a continuum from the ritually pure and worthy of respect to the ritually defiled and unworthy. In North India, according to adult informants, Hindi is spoken at school, in formal business contacts or government offices, in formal ceremonies; it…

The Pacific area is generally acknowledged to manifest great linguistic diversity. Such diversity is generally assumed to be dysfunctional, an obstacle to efficient functioning of society. Such diversity must, however, have its functions at least in the circumstances in which it arose. It is also generally assumed that such diversity is the result…

This edited volume is a collection of personal accounts, in narrative and interview format, of the formative literacy experiences of highly successful second language users, all of whom are professional academics. Representing 14 countries of origin, the contributors, who are well known specialists in language teaching as well as a variety of…

Describes development of the Rochdale Assessment of Mirpuri Phonology, a phonological assessment for bilingual children that was administered to normally developing bilingual children as well as children suspected of having a speech disorder. Normally developing children showed phonological error patterns in English that are considered atypical of…

Despite similarities between Hindi and Urdu and mutual intelligibility, at least on the spoken level, slight grammatical differences between the two languages do exist. The treatment of gender provides an example of such differences. Explanation of the actual differences in gender usage can be based on a synchronic, linguistic level as well as on…