Discussion of the current language situation in Europe looks first at the compelling political changes affecting language policies, then examines progress toward implementation of the modern languages component of the National Curriculum for England and Wales. It is noted that Europe differs from other eastern hemisphere regions in that in most…

The use of rhetorical voice in literature and news reporting is examined and its implications for classroom study of literature are discussed. Analysis is based on Mikhail Bakhtin's theory of the novel and the definition of "voice" as an identifiable social role or position that a character enacts, and "ventriloquation" as the…

Six papers on Irish English are presented. "The Study of Hiberno-English" (Jeffrey L. Kallen) surveys some aspects of research on the language and offers a historical context for the subsequent papers. "A Tape-Recorded Survey of Hiberno-English in Its Context" (T. M. Tilling) reports on the early stages of an island-wide survey…

A discussion of the current state of education in Nigeria looks at two systems of education introduced in different post-colonial administrations (universal primary education and the 6/3/3/4-year scheme) and examines language policy in education, particularly the provisions concerning use of native language as the medium of instruction under the…

This book provides a collection of interrelated essays on language for teachers concerned with first and second language acquisition, non-standard English, the teaching of grammar, language change, and the attainment of literacy. A problem-oriented text, the book presents the various controversies surrounding each language area, offering competing…

To deal successfully with the French people in business, the American must first be conversant with his own culture. The French have a tradition of firm opinions and take an intellectual view of the world. Thinking is hierarchical, as is the French society. Education emphasizes strong command of the French language and all formal aspects of French…

The choice of languages in daily communication among members of East Javanese society is discussed, as illustrated in language choice in performances of "ludruk," the East Javanese folk play. Data are drawn from audiocassette ludruk recordings, which are seen as depicting contemporary East Javanese society. First, the ethnic makeup of…

A survey of 184 regular classroom teachers at a summer workshop at a state university in the Rocky Mountain Region investigated teacher knowledge and attitudes about linguistic diversity in the classroom. Data was gathered on the teachers' background, kind and amount of assistance provided to teachers with limited-English-proficient (LEP) students…

A study reexamined the role of the classroom teacher in mediating the educational needs and goals of the changing population and explored the role of teacher education programs in providing contexts for the preparation of culturally "relevant teachers." Subjects were 64 mainstream and bilingual/ESL teachers enrolled in 2 multicultural…

Three articles on near-native English language proficiency are presented. "Attitudes to English Usage: A Comparison between Native and Non-Native Speakers," by Ann-Christin Miemois, reports on a study of attitudes toward usage of certain lexical items in English in four distinct situations. Subjects were natives of Finland and New…

This paper discuses whether outrageous parodies are and should be protected under the First Amendment. After presenting a definition and a brief history of parody humor, the paper then presents a brief description of the parties to this line of legal controversies. The paper describes the rationale of a line of separate parody cases involving Miss…

Noting a recent trend in scholarship of using narratives to warn teachers of the possible dangers of un-theorized and uncritical utilization of technology in the writing classroom, this paper offers a story that does not involve students, anonymous messages, or private files that inadvertently become public, but instead concerns a series of…

This paper suggests that a discussion of linguistic pluralism in France begins by chronicling the emergence of French as the primary language in early French history and the role of linguistic minorities at various periods in French history. It then focuses on growing linguistic activism in the second half of the twentieth century, when the…

A study examines the use of Kiswahili as representative of the dynamism of Kenyan society and the degree to which the Kenyan body politic has achieved cohesion. It focuses on a series of urban centers with overlapping spheres of influence, referred to as the urban corridor. The Kenyan situation is viewed through a model provided by chaos theory…

Dealing with the relationships among language, communication, and culture, the 12 papers in this collection are divided into three parts. The first part deals with the critical issues related to language acquisition, context, and cognition. The second part presents an array of perspectives in analyzing the role of language in comparative…