The role and use of Spanish in the geographic areas outside of the U.S. Southwest are examined in a collection of 16 conference papers. The papers address the general topics of language contact, linguistic variation, sociolinguistic factors, and language maintenance policy, and planning. Among the specific issues discussed are: a dialectology of…

The Mhong Language Council's 1982 conference had as its objectives: (1) a compromise spelling system to accommodate both White and Blue Mhong pronunciation; (2) simplification of the current Mhong spelling system; (3) review of approaches to the expression of foreign concepts in Mhong; and (4) adoption of capitalization and punctuation conventions…

Foreign language teachers should be aware of certain sociolinguistic concepts that can be termed "language ecology," which has been defined as the study of a "language and its environment." These concepts are: classification, users, domains of use, concurrent languages, internal varieties, written traditions, standardization,…

This volume is a summary of current knowledge concerning the relationship between social behavior and language behavior. It is intended both for graduate and advanced undergraduate students and for interested laypersons who have no extensive knowledge of either sociology or linguistics. The introduction and ten chapters cover the following topics:…

This article discusses language planning in the People's Republic of China, and opens by commenting on the difficulty in observing the language planning process in China, particularly in the area of decision-making. A brief history of language planning is provided. Following the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949, a shift took place…

This bibliography is divided into three main sections. The first section lists bibliographies relevant to bilingualism and multilingualism. The second section cites books and anthologies dealing with bilingualism and multilingualism, while the third section gives references for books dealing with bilingual education. Entries include both American…

The author discusses (1) the nature of communication, (2) sociological aspects of the communication problem, and (3) solutions to the language problem that have been tried. He believes that "there is a solution easier and more successful than multilingualism, and less discriminatory than the unilateral imposition of one national language for…

Sociolinguistics is characterized by a concern for viewing language variation and for seeing language in real social contexts. It has a high potential for relationship and application to other fields such as education, sociology, and psychology. Sociolinguistics try to study the speech of a community, and instead of studying the presence or…

The United States experience with bilingual schools falls into two periods: from 1840-1920 and from 1963 to the present. Bilingual schooling may be said to have originated in Cincinnati in 1840, where a large minority of the population was German-speaking. During this first period, perhaps a million American children received a part of their…

A survey of the current language situation in India from a historical perspective, and an analysis of assumptions concerning language development. It is concluded that present government policies are ambivalent, giving lip-service to narrow definitions of mother tongues while directing resources toward the development of more broadly defined…

This study of the role and use of English in Israel was conducted in 1973. Sources used were census figures, personal interviews, surveys, and personal observations. It is concluded that exposure to English is increasing and that Israelis do not seem opposed to this, as Hebrew retains its prominence. (Author/RM)

This paper reviews the debate in the new United States two hundred years ago over the issue of national language policy and a national language academy. (CHK)

Presents two views on recognizing English as the official language of the U.S. Proponents say it will help immigrants advance themselves and will bind Americans together. Critics argue that the amendment does not increase English proficiency but punishes those who have not learned; it also heightens racism and xenophobia. (LHW)

The teaching of national languages in Zaire is examined, underscoring the lack of an adequate infrastructure for defining a global policy. It is suggested that such policymaking must involve the collaboration of decision makers, scholars, teachers, scientific organizations, publishers, and translators and must consider economics and existing…

Using Hindi and Urdu as examples, illustrates the shortcomings in the definition of South Asian languages that has been attempted in Britain so far. Argues that description and definition of a language have to include aspects of culture, religion, script, politics, and the speakers' own perception of their language and language choice. (SED)