A study examined community attitudes concerning Lakota language instruction in the schools on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota. Surveys were completed by 88 Native American, Caucasian, and mixed-heritage households. Results indicated agreement with the establishment of intensified Lakota language education for all school levels…

Gaelic is a minority language in Scotland. Gaelic speakers tend to be older and concentrated in the Western Highlands and Islands and some urban centers. Gaelic is used mainly in craft work and with friends and community members at prayer meetings, stores, post offices, and social events. Gaelic has no official status and limited legal protection.…

This book examines often-cited but poorly-supported claims that immigrants fail to learn English and the mistaken belief that immigrant communities cling to their heritage languages, revealing that, in actuality, English is being rapidly learned while heritage languages are disappearing quickly from family use. The book shows how current…

Drawing on the growing literature on language revitalization initiatives and examples of one Andean initiative in particular, the essay attempts to synthesize some common language corpus and language status transformations that threatened languages undergo during the process of revitalization. Specifically, it looks at the often unexpected changes…

This digest considers issues, possible solutions, and successful efforts in dealing with Native language loss, maintenance, and restoration in American Indian and Alaska Native communities and schools. The preservation and maintenance of the remaining 210 tribal languages is a major cultural and education concern in Native communities. The problem…

This book holds that the evolution of the mind has given rise to great diversity of language and culture, each going along with a distinct adaptation to life specific ecosystems or geographical areas. Much like the wealth of plant and animal species is essential to biodiversity and ecological balance, diversity in the world's languages is vital to…

The aim of this paper is to study the Finnish spoken in the Swedish Torne Valley, its use and development during the 1960s and the 1990s, and how it differs now from the Finnish spoken in the same area in the early 1960s. The study also examines which people speak Finnish in this valley today and in what contexts, as well as how the Finnish…

Presents census data on the Muslim population in Australia and overviews full-time independent Islamic schools offering a comprehensive education across the curriculum. Argues that these schools offer great potential for the successful development of Arabic language and cultural literacy skills required by Australian exporters and diplomats in the…

Looks at the autobiographies of immigrant women and discusses the attitude that immigrants must learn English in exchange for the advantages accrued to them. Suggests that this attitude reflects an unrealistic view of the immigrant experience as uniformly positive. Concludes that any policy designed to create common linguistic ground for national…

Considers various factors relating to the failure of recent Canadian graduates of French immersion programs to make substantial use of French immediately following their schooling. The article presents some case studies of adult Canadians engaged in maintaining or improving their French skills. (29 references) (Author/CK)

Examines the transplantation of dialects of Italian abroad, particularly to Canada. Argues that any discussion of the language of immigrants from Italy has to start from the premise that they brought their dialect, not Italian, to their new home. Conclusions indicate that "Italo-Canadian" shares many linguistic characteristics with…

Reports a study carried out on bilingual adolescents in a school in the Basque Country in which the language of instruction is Basque. Spanish and English are taught starting in Grade 3. Results show that all students are highly competent in Basque and Spanish, but students who use Basque in more domains get the best scores in English. (Author/VWL)

Ten Hispanic families in which bilingual parents had chosen to maintain the use of Spanish in the home were interviewed. Explicit questions about rationales for this choice elicited answers related to instrumental benefits of bilingualism, but analyses of interviews as life stories revealed the necessity of repeated reaffirmation of this…

Draws on sociolinguistic literature and on an ethnographic study of language use and bilingual education in Quechua-speaking rural communities of Puno. Consider the roles of both language planning and the schools in achieving language maintenance for Quechua. (35 references) (Author/CB)

Describes the process for developing a bilingual curriculum for Guatemala's four largest Mayan language groups. The process took into account the Mayans' maintenance of a distinct linguistic and cultural identity. The results of this experimental curriculum and the current direction of bilingual education in Guatemala are discussed. (Author/CB)