Suggests that a policy of multilingualism must aim for maintenance of a functional network of languages from which the maintenance of individual languages evolves. It must recognize limitations and special interests orientation of the government as the prime agent of language policy and allow agency to communities and individuals to shape policy…

Gives an overview of recent research on the Alsatian language in a contact situation and discusses the function of the language and state border. Contacts across the state border are analyzed and the function of various linguistic codes on both sides of the state border are described. Suggests that the the sole post-war innovation in Alsace is the…

Examines the competing principles of territoriality and personality as key concepts in the provision of language-related services and rights in multilingual societies. Drawing on recent legislative and sociopolitical change in Belgium, Quebec, and Canada, the extent to which the adoption of such principles increases or neutralizes language-related…

Discusses the assertion that allophonic variations are not only important for the purposes of social acceptability. It is argued that the question of social acceptability and the concern for nativelike standards has been primarily viewed from the perspective of monolingual societies, and that social acceptability is not a linguistic issue, rather…

Critically examines existing government and constitutional provisions that amount to a national language policy in Nigeria. An alternative policy in which the three indigenous Nigerian languages in the present policy are replaced with a neutral one is proposed. (21 references) (GLR)

Discusses the case of bilingualism in Morocco, a territory where a large variety of languages intersect, including French, Arabic, and Tamazight. The contact of cultures articulated through these languages allows Morocco to assign value to bilingualism that is not perceived as rivalry but as complementing the development of modern cosmopolitan…

Presents the resolution of the Conference on College Composition and Communication to support the National Language Policy, a pro-multilingualism response to efforts to make English the official language of the United States. Describes the English Only movement and its shortcomings and delineates other organizations opposed to English Only.…

Presents the way in which language issues have become a relevant factor in research that aims to study the socio-cultural aspects of mathematics education in classrooms with a high percentage of immigrant students. Illustrates the fact that, even if the mathematical language can be considered universal, the language of doing mathematics within the…

The paper illustrates how interaction operates in classes where there is no single shared common language between teachers and pupils. Samples from a European School primary class taken from 1669 extracts are given of teacher-pupil, pupil-teacher and pupil-pupil interaction. Goals of the programme investigated are to integrate heterogeneous groups…

The Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scales were devised to be a broad set of psychometrically matched measures with equivalent Spanish and English versions. Study 1 in this report used item response theory methods to refine scales. Results strongly supported psychometric matching across English and Spanish versions and, for most…

This paper deals with European language policy and its contribution to the formation of a European identity. The realisation of the "European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages" in Germany and the United Kingdom is discussed and evaluated. (Contains 1 table and 5 notes.)

In this article, the author talks about his native language, the Tuscarora, and how he learned and developed it through a poem he wrote. He received an invitation to participate in a group poetry reading and panel on multilingual poets at a regional Modern Language Association conference. Being a member of the Onondaga Nation, raised on the…

In this study, the problem of non-proficiency in language learning and use among Nigerian students is investigated. Using empirical data and information from available literature on the subject as evidence, it was observed that the language deficiencies of the students could be attributed to the lack of fit between the formulation of the national…

Focusing on code-switching from conversation analysis and sociolinguistic perspectives, this paper examines interactions between 10-12-year-old language learners of immigrant origin and locally born students as they are engaging in verbal pair work. All are students attending language classes in state primary schools in Barcelona in which Catalan…

Globalization has led to unprecedented interest in expanding foreign language instruction in U.S. schools, particularly at grade levels where traditionally it has not been an option. Languages that previously have been rarely taught, such as Chinese, are frequently the choice of new programs at every level in the K-12 range. As No Child Left…