The issues of language (specifically, the English-only movement) and ethnic-based religion illustrate the ongoing democratic challenge of balancing individual with group needs. With increasing demographic diversity, America will have to find thoughtful and constructive ways to protect and set limits on both language and religious values. (MSE)

This article examines the position of the Tamil language in Singapore. It is one of the four languages in Singapore but shows signs of decline in recent years relative to English, Chinese, and Malay. The reasons for this are explored. (Contains 24 references.) (JL)

Applies chaos theory to J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy "The Lord of the Rings," to see order and patterns in a supposed chaotic world. Discusses how Tolkien's background as a philologist served as a foundation for the stories he created, and notes how language itself changes events and controls and dominates characters in the trilogy. (SR)

Presents an economic approach to the analysis of the value of certain languages, and assesses the sociolinguistic choices in Asian Pacific countries in light of this approach. It is found that English is the most important language in the Asian Pacific and that its importance is linked to economic factors as predicted by the analytical framework.…

Two factors often neglected in studies of the development of pidgin languages are described in relation to the history of Pidgin Fijian: significant changes in function of the pidgin and in its speakers' characteristics, and contact with other pidgins. These factors are discussed in regard to the development of pidgin languages in general and…

This article examines the position of German in the European Community (EC): What role has German played since the founding of EC? How did the two current working languages, French and English, come about? What are the pros and cons of German as the third working language? Who are the advocates and opponents of the German language and why? (AB)

The essay (1) offers comments on areas of theoretical common cause shared by integrationists and other linguistic theorists, (2) proposes some corrections to recent objections to the anti- surrogationalism of the integrational approach, and (3) remarks on the important of matching or calibrating new developments in technology with changes in…

Explores the kind of hypotheses English-speaking children between 3 and 6 years of age constructed and how these hypotheses compared to those found in children who speak other languages. Considers children's use of the syllabic and alphabetic principles; gives credence to the fact that the appearance of the syllabic hypothesis may be universal.…

Responds to a critique by M. Murphy in this issue (itself a critique of earlier articles). States that Murphy's arguments are at times "misguided and misdirected." Clarifies arguments in the earlier articles. Examines issues of definition and identity, methodologies, and the power that discourse and language have as media for managing…

Reports on Senator Arlen Spector's interview of Anita Hill during hearings on Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas and her allegations of sexual harassment. Examines the social structures and argumentative strategies Spector invoked to place Hill in a position of "powerlessness." Argues that the key resource contributing to the…

Factors responsible for the language policy of the Catholic Church include the need for uniformity and integrity of doctrine and the need for the worshipping community to have access to the meaning of the words of the liturgy. At times, liturgical theology and political needs of the church have promoted the need for uniformity over the need for…

Reviews recent studies of legal discourse and nonacademic writing and presents the results of a historical case study on an environmental public policy. Finds that a dynamic discourse community changed writing roles among government employees, lay members of the audience, and water pollution control board members. States that controversial…

Attempts to establish a description of mathematical word problems as a linguistic genre, particularly considering its pragmatic structure. Through a description of the pragmatics and discourse features of the genre, and through comparison of the word problems genre to other spoken and literary genres, finds clues to unspoken assumptions underlying…

Discusses the right of Deaf children to grow up bilingually. This involves the opportunity to acquire a sign language as well as the oral language spoken by the hearing community. Examines the role of both the sign language and the oral language for the Deaf child. (Author/VWL)

Offers insight into English in the multilingual nation of South Africa at the turn of the new millennium. Describes the social history of English in South Africa to provide the background against which this special issue of this journal came about. Highlights features of each of the articles included in the issue. (Author/VWL)