This study describes rules of code-switching (choice between languages) in four six-year-old Spanish/English bilinguals in a school setting, to show that bilingualism is a sociolinguistic competency. Data included 306 episodes of situational code-switches and 64 episodes of conversational code-switches. The children consistently applied the…

This study was undertaken to examine the suspicion that a young Greek girl in the short time span of two years had become more fluent in a second language (English) than in her native tongue. To provide a basis of comparison the tests used in this study were also given to the child's older brother who had been in the United States for…

A study based on two hypotheses: (1) The cognitive and academic effects of bilingualism are mediated by the levels of competence attained in the first and second languages, and (2) the development of skills in a second language is a function of skills already developed in the first language. (AMH)

Compares the use and maintenance of the Quechua language in a bilingual and nonbilingual education school and community. Findings indicate a significant change in teacher-pupil language use, an improvement in pupil participation in the bilingual school, and an improved attitude among the community members regarding the value of their language.…

Historical forces and factors affecting the development of Canada's bilingual programs for ethnic minorities include changing immigration policies, a decline in Anglo-conformism and growth in multiculturalism, fears about native language maintenance and second language learning, and language and cultural attitudes in second language learning. (MSE)

Discusses the progress made and problems still surrounding Greenland's Home Rule Act which established the roles of Greenlandic and Danish in the instructional arena, covering attempts to make Greenlandic the native language while also encouraging bilingualism through mastery of Danish. (Author/CB)

Although studies of Vietnamese refugees indicated that their language values and attitudes encouraged the use and maintenance of Vietnamese as well as the development of English proficiency, a study of adolescent Vietnamese suggested that "Vietnamese English" is an emerging dialect featuring modifications of English structures.…

Examines the determinants of native-language maintenance among the Canadian Indian population. Employs a simultaneous-equations model in which mother tongue retention and economic activity are determined by background characteristics. Suggests that attempts to improve the economic conditions of native Indians (for example, by education) may have a…

Presented in Inuttitut, French, and English, this report summarizes research initiated by the Kativik School Board, which oversees education in Nunavik (northern Quebec). Four studies examined the current status of Inuttitut in Nunavik, the intellectual ability of Inuit students, and the effects of bilingual education on Inuit students'…

Even though Nahuatl is the most widely spoken indigenous language in Mexico, it is endangered. Threats include poor support for Nahuatl-speaking communities, migration of Nahuatl speakers to cities where English and Spanish are spoken, prejudicial attitudes toward indigenous languages, lack of contact between small communities of different…

During the 20th century there has been a widespread pattern of language shift among the indigenous communities of the United States and Canada. The language-of-work hypothesis posits that if the national language is used as the language of work for virtually all jobs in a minority-language community, the national language will, within a few…

This paper presents personal reflections on factors in the preservation and stabilization of North American indigenous languages. All indigenous languages in North America are in danger of being lost. Linguistic and cultural minority communities must control the institutions that affect their lives if there is to be significant and sustainable…

As part of an attempt to develop a multicultural model of teacher education that incorporates and embraces Anishinaabe philosophy, interviews were conducted with seven Anishinaabe elders from one Canadian and three U.S. reservations. Eight themes emerged. In order of their importance to the meaning and experience of being Anishinaabe, they are…

This paper discusses the use of technology in instruction. It begins by examining research on technology and indigenous languages, focusing on the use of technology to get community attention for an indigenous language, improve the quantity of quality language, document spoken language, create sociocultural learning contexts, improve study skills,…

This paper discusses the context of indigenous language education in western Canada, the hope of language revitalization, and the role of the Canadian Indigenous Languages and Literacy Development Institute (CILLDI) in reclaiming and stabilizing these languages. CILLDI was established in 1999 by a collective of language advocates and educators who…