This paper reports on the process of modifying the ModelCreator item generation system to produce output in multiple languages. In particular, Japanese and Spanish are now supported in addition to English. The addition of multilingual functionality was considerably facilitated by the general formulation of our natural language generation system,…

Papers from a workshop on the role and development of national languages include: "What Is a National Language Good for?" (Florian Coulmas); "To the Language Born: Thoughts on the Problem of National and International Languages" (Jacob Mey); "Swahili as a National Language in East Africa" (Marilyn Merritt, Mohamed…

The historical background and the current status of Swahili in Kenya and Tanzania, where it is designated as the national language, and in Uganda, where it has assumed a less prominent role, are described. Major factors contributing to the selection of national languages in the region are presented. The ways both linguistic and sociopolitical…

A discussion of language policy in India's educational system identifies substantive issues of both theoretical and comparative interest; presents a detailed account of the issues associated with policy-making for language in education in the Indian socio-political context; and discusses the current status of implementation of these policies, with…

This volume, published on the occasion of the American Bicentennial, is based on a revision of a 1963 German-language publication describing and analyzing the phenomenon of cultural and linguistic pluralism in American society. It is part of a series on bilingual education, intended to inform the public about how people have used bilingual…

The history of testing and evaluation in Indian education has been less than satisfactory since achievement and intelligence testing instruments traditionally have been norm-referenced, rather than criterion-referenced, and have not accounted for cultural differences. The Indian Education Act of 1972 provides for Indian involvement in the…

This report investigates the educational philosophy programs related to the multicultural population of Toronto. Two fundamental goals for the Toronto Board of Education are to provide equal educational opportunities to all children, and to do so without loss of the child's personal identity and cultural integrity. The work force provides…

An increase in the number of bilingual schools has lead to a greater need for properly qualified and adequately trained teachers of school children of Hispanic heritage from non-English speaking homes. Characteristics of a good bilingual program are explored in this paper with occasional reference to writings of Andersson and Boyer, Fishman, and…

This book contains 22 studies relating to the social implications of multilingualism in Eastern Africa. The first section, "General and Theoretical Studies," contains papers on national languages and languages of wider communication in developing nations; the communication roles of languages in multilingual societies; the social and…

This report outlines the symposium held on the teaching and learning of the mother tongue and of other modern languages. The aims were: (1) to examine the general connections between the teaching and learning of the mother tongue and of other modern languages in mono-, bi-, and multilingual communities in Europe; (2) to consider the bearing of…

The notion of language dependency presupposes that there is a hierarchy of languages in a multilingual society, and that each language is assigned a functional role in a multilingual individual's restricted or extended spheres of linguistic interaction. In South Asia, language dependency has resulted in linguistic convergence of two types: (1)…

Language use among linguistic minorities of the Northern Calotte (areas of Norway, Sweden, and Finland that lie above the Arctic Circle) is reviewed from the perspective of history and ecology of language. Two case studies examining language shift in these areas, where Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish, and Sami are spoken, are also considered.…

Considers implications of widespread and growing multilingualism (including English as second language) among students in Great Britain and the rest of the world. Schools can build on the strengths of those students' linguistic diversity and should offer a range of language experiences and languages for all students. (CB)

Outlines challenges with which English as second language students confront the library and reflects on the need for global education; internationalizing curricula in colleges, high schools, and elementary schools; and library skills as key to learning. The personal approach to instruction at New York City Technical College is described. (EJS)

This book examines how in a multicultural, multilingual society, schools must involve parents and community members in literacy teaching and learning. By building on existing literacy, schools can become catalysts in empowering children, families, and teachers. Collaborative literacy teaching and learning can be a positive force in redefining…