Papers from a workshop on the role and development of national languages include: "What Is a National Language Good for?" (Florian Coulmas); "To the Language Born: Thoughts on the Problem of National and International Languages" (Jacob Mey); "Swahili as a National Language in East Africa" (Marilyn Merritt, Mohamed…

The historical background and the current status of Swahili in Kenya and Tanzania, where it is designated as the national language, and in Uganda, where it has assumed a less prominent role, are described. Major factors contributing to the selection of national languages in the region are presented. The ways both linguistic and sociopolitical…

The objectives of any language awareness course must be to lead students to a greater awareness of what they already know about language. This kind of course is ideal for student-centered activity, with the students exploring language and the teacher only occasionally imparting new facts. It will have more immediacy if it focuses on the students'…

Development of language awareness programs at the elementary and early secondary levels requires teacher willingness, coherent policy and guidelines for selecting methods and content, and teacher awareness and acceptance of the policies and guidelines and their practical potential. Studies suggest that in Great Britain, the first three…

Literacy is a social concept more reflective of culture and context than of formal instruction and can be used for cultural transmission within a society or for cultural imperialism when imposed from outside. The Algonquian-speaking Micmac Indians used pictographs, petroglyphs, notched sticks, and wampum as written communication to serve early…

Culture and language establish a peoples' identity, setting them apart as a people and providing a sense of belonging and purpose. Their language embodies a people's world view, expressing the values they consider important for physical and spiritual survival. Students are greatly influenced by their native culture. For the Ojibwe, culture plays…

A study of the attitudes and practices in multinational corporations concerning second language and intercultural skills as criteria for employment of international managers consisted of three elements: (1) a survey of corporations; (2) followup interviews with respondents and with commercial language schools and cross-cultural training…

A study of the usage patterns and role of Scottish Gaelic in communities throughout Scotland is presented. Results suggest that in order to preserve and enhance the prestige of the language and its literature, the economic viability of those communities must be maintained. A link is observed between: (1) pride in the language and the distinctive…

A profile of the extent of English usage and instruction in Mexico gives an overview of the following elements: its role and status alongside Spanish and within the educational system at all levels; teacher education; program accreditation; required reading skills; the supply and professional support of English teachers; the type and availability…

A discussion of language policy in India's educational system identifies substantive issues of both theoretical and comparative interest; presents a detailed account of the issues associated with policy-making for language in education in the Indian socio-political context; and discusses the current status of implementation of these policies, with…

While the need to strengthen the transfer of language skills across disciplines and to integrate language instruction with other components of the curriculum is recognized, it must also be recognized that the language of science has a set of symbols that are different from those that are learned for daily life, and the structures of the two…

In this study, everyday mother-to-toddler speech patterns among disadvantaged and advantaged groups were examined in the home environment. The Schachter FIS-C (Functions of Interpersonal Speech of Caretakers) language measuring instrument was applied to mother speech in three sociolinguistic urban groups: black disadvantaged, black advantaged, and…

This paper outlines both negative and affirmative approaches to the issue of whether the public should be aware of a foreign language program. The negative approach would consider the diminishing demand for foreign languages for basic communicative needs in the United States and the conviction on the part of the public that it only needs one…

This description of the difficulties of school library and community information services in a developing country includes forceful images of a rural indigenous people with little self-known history, and widely separated by a wild and rough terrain and diverging cultures--all of which conspire as obstacles to the spread of library and school…

Characteristics of successful adult vocational English as a second language (ESL) programs are described, and psycholinguistic, sociolinguistic, and pedagogical insights are presented. Characteristics of a successful program are as follows: (1) they are learner-centered; (2) there is recognition that English can and should be learned for specific…