Three phases mark the instruction of indigenous languages since the precolonial period. Nigeria has more than 200 native languages, and the problems of instruction involve national language policy, the capabilities of the languages to cope with modern life, lack of prepared teachers, lack of understanding of language structures, teaching…

In this study of ability to learn Japanese, six extra-linguistic factors were investigated: multi-linguality, semantic space sensitivity, formal education, Japanophilia, musical training and the introduction of Kanji (ideographs used in Japanese writing). (CK)

A discussion of the preservation of minority group languages, especially when the group is very small, in a pluriglossic community focuses on the situation of German in Sauris, Italy. The arguments commonly advanced against total linguistic assimilation into the majority language group are examined. Implications in support of minority language…

A list of 103 books, articles, working papers, and other publications focuses on two areas of research on multilingualism: (1) studies of two language groups learning a common third language and transfer from non-native and native languages in foreign and second language learning (78 entries); and (2) other linguistic and psycholinguistic works on…

By some standards, Brazil would be considered linguistically homogeneous because more than 85 percent of the population speaks Portuguese, but this view does not account for the multitude of dialects and Indian languages spoken there or for the German-speaking or other bilingual groups in the country. In addition, little information is available…

A certain stigma is attached to the term "bilingual." Defining all Americans as ethnics shows that it is not un-American to be bilingual. (Author/TL)

This introduction to bilingualism is designed with the undergraduates especially in mind. Since its primary concern is with the bilingual individual, it does assume some knowledge of the basic principles of linguistics. Less detail is accorded to societal bilingualism since the premise is that sociological aspects of bilingualism should be…

This volume is a summary of current knowledge concerning the relationship between social behavior and language behavior. It is intended both for graduate and advanced undergraduate students and for interested laypersons who have no extensive knowledge of either sociology or linguistics. The introduction and ten chapters cover the following topics:…

The author outlines the socio-cultural and language problems of three main types of developing nations. The first type, the "new developing nations," (sub-Saharan and East Africa) have little to draw upon in terms of a useable socio-cultural or political past. The language problems reflect emphasis on political integration, for which…

The questionnaire presented here was designed to be administered to a representative sample of Ethiopian children enrolled in primary and secondary schools. Responses to be elicited pertain to --(1) personal use of language in several domains of speech behavior, (2) use of language by others in situations which the respondent has had an…

Designed to define and clarify the policies and programs of Canada's Northwest Territories' Department of Education, this monograph addressed the following concerns: (1) Program Policies and Problems (emphasis on the vast size and small population of the Northwest Territories and the divergent demands placed upon the Department of Education and…

This bibliography is divided into three main sections. The first section lists bibliographies relevant to bilingualism and multilingualism. The second section cites books and anthologies dealing with bilingualism and multilingualism, while the third section gives references for books dealing with bilingual education. Entries include both American…

The author discusses (1) the nature of communication, (2) sociological aspects of the communication problem, and (3) solutions to the language problem that have been tried. He believes that "there is a solution easier and more successful than multilingualism, and less discriminatory than the unilateral imposition of one national language for…

This article discusses the two main types of trilingualism, individual trilingualism and societal trilingualism, or multilingualism. Research directions in third language learning are also noted. (CLK)

The performance of multilingual subjects was contrasted to that of bilingual and monolingual subjects on two tasks that involved learning a miniature linguistic system. Results indicate that multilingual subjects have strategies that help them allocate processing resources more efficiently in formulating informal rules of limited scope under…