This paper details major and significant developments in the teaching of English to pupils aged 5-16 years in the school system in England, the years of compulsory education. To begin with definitions of terms. There are four aspects of language education provision that pertain in England: (1) the teaching of English as the mother tongue; (2) the…

The theory and practice of assistance to speech communities whose native languages are threatened are examined. The discussion focuses on why most efforts to reverse language shift are unsuccessful or even harmful, diagnosing difficulties and prescribing alternatives based on a combination of ethnolinguistic, sociocultural, and econotechnical…

American slang reflects diversity, imagination, self-confidence, and optimism of the American people. Its vitality is due in part to the guarantee of free speech and lack of a national academy of language or of any official attempt to purify American speech, in part to Americans' historic geographic mobility. Such "folksay" includes…

Five papers address issues in language learning and teaching in multicultural environments. "Namibian Educational Language Planning: English for Liberation or Neo-Colonialism?" (Robert Phillipson, Tove Skutnabb-Kangas, Hugh Africa) examines decisive factors in choice of language for instruction, focusing on the choice of English and the…

A discussion of Nigeria's national language policy looks at the official structure for language instruction, its rationale, and perceived problems and possibilities. The policy requires that the mother tongue or language of the immediate community be the medium of instruction at pre-primary and early primary levels, with English emerging as medium…

A discussion of the current status and future of Celtic languages in the United Kingdom looks at the social and linguistic history of the languages, problems facing the community of Celtic language users, specific tensions and relationships, implications for reform of social policy, and the role of formal language planning, legislation, and key…

There is a growing perception, particularly among Hispanics, of the urgent need to structure a coherent national policy encompassing the rights of language minorities. No such policy can be framed without taking into consideration the unique situation of Puerto Ricans, who are American citizens by birth but who are taught in Spanish in Puerto…

Papers from the conference include the following: opening remarks (Lorne Laforge and William F. Mackey); a position paper on the written language of the world (Grant D. McConnell); "An Overview of the Practical and Theoretical Implications of the 'Written Languages of India' Survey Regarding Language and National Development Strategies"…

A study of elementary school foreign language programs in eight states yielded information about the status and design of language immersion, revitalized foreign language in the elementary schools (FLES), and foreign language experience (FLEX) programs. Immersion programs consist of the usual curriculum content presented entirely in a second…

The Arabization process in the Maghreb countries--Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia--is unique in that these countries are officially committed to the use of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) while widespread use of French, a colonial language, persists, and the formal Arabic used in Arabization differs from the colloquial forms used in each country. The…

Practical applications of the concepts of the Modern Language Project for teaching languages for special purposes at the university level are described. The Modern Languages Project, sponsored by the Council for Cultural Cooperation of the Council of Europe, involves the formulation of a coherent European policy on adult language learning which…

This book emphasizes the value of bilingual education as an enrichment for all groups, not merely for heterogeneous populations or poor or dislocated populations. The book is aimed at teachers, administrators and concerned laymen. Part I of this book surveys the sociology of bilingual education. Language and culture in the global community and in…

While the Official Languages Act of Canada mandates the governmental use of English and French, it is up to regions, localities, and individuals to develop the attitudes and policies which will safeguard the rights of language minorities (including English speakers in francophone areas) and discourage the cultural isolation of language groups. A…

The purpose of this paper is to present a general overview of the linguistic setting of Arabic. Three main areas are covered. The first of these, diglossia, is defined in general terms and then examined more closely in relation to its historical development in Arabic-speaking countries (i.e., as resulting from geographic, socioeconomic, and…

Intended to contribute to the furthering of the development of alternative schools, this book discusses various problems and issues which arise in setting up culture-based, bilingual programs. These include: (1) possible types of alternative efforts at schooling, (2) questions which need to be considered before setting up a curriculum, (3)…