This study considers the relationship between Cajun ethnicity and the intergenerational transmission of the French language. The commonsensical assumption of a positive relationship between ethnic identity and language transmission is questioned. It is suggested that if an ethnicity is associated with socioeconomic disadvantages, then the greater…

Other languages in Israel, such as Yiddish, Ladino, Judeo-Arabic, and Judeo-Persian suffer from a serious lack of well-prioritized efforts in accord with their specific language planning needs. This current insufficiency of funds and effort may lead to the early demise of most Jewish languages other than Hebrew in Israel, with the exception of…

Outlines some of the key complexities and controversies that surround the advocacy of minority language rights, most notably via the movement of linguistic human rights (LHR). Argues that while the LHR movement has much to offer, particularly in articulating how minority languages might come to enjoy some of the privileges accorded majority…

Discusses how the talking drum has been a viable cultural voice for many West and Central African cultures in the acquisition of literacy. Emphasizes musical character of tonal languages and the use of the talking drum for literacy purposes. Proposes research questions regarding function and use of music and language; describes role of the talking…

Examines one stage of ethnic identity formation and its affects on attitudes toward the heritage language among a group of Americans of Asian descent in the United States. Studied published narratives to discover whether feelings of ambivalence and evasion experienced by this population toward their ethnicity extended to the heritage language, and…

Examines the different agencies of language planning of the Island of Jersey and the progress that has been made, comparing the corpus and status planning undertaken in this context with that which occurs in countries where more support is forthcoming from the state. Suggests that high prestige domains do not necessarily hold the key to successful…

Presents data on patterns of language use by Italians living in Australia, focusing on the maintenance of Italian and Dialect under the impact of widespread shift to English. Data from self-report surveys suggest differences by gender, age, and region of origin and note that the position of Italian, though more limited, is somewhat more solid than…

Provides a brief history of the Wampanoag Indians and the extinction of their language, Massachusett. Describes the Massachusett Language Revival Project and the sources underpinning its instructional materials: the 1663 "Indian Bible" and Massachusett grammar book by John Eliot, and early dictionaries and vocabularies. (SV)

Discusses the relationship between bilingualism and gender within a feminist poststructuralist framework. Suggests that all language contact phenomena, including bilingualism, acquire different meanings in different contexts and can be linked to gender only indirectly. (Author/VWL)

A small working panel of scholars met to determine the major research issues and gaps in heritage language education. General research issues identified include data collection, stakeholder involvement, contextual considerations, underlying attitudes and motivations, and assessment. Specific research questions were organized into seven main areas:…

This paper examines the relationship between policy and politics in relation to the development of public-sector primary education through Breton and Gaelic, considering closely the patterns of power through which such provision is delivered. Brittany and Scotland present many similarities as culturally distinctive territories, contained within…

Inspired by Johnston's thought-provoking article, this article reports from the current Norwegian scene to make two main points. First, Norwegian Sign Language paradoxically appears to be better protected as well as more threatened than ever. Second, success in bilingual deaf education is not logically incompatible with a placement primarily in…

The survival and maintenance of Aboriginal languages in Canada depend on their transmission from generation to generation. Children are the future speakers of a language. This paper demonstrates that the family and the community together play critical roles in the transmission of language from parent to child. On their own, neither family capacity…

The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) has a long-standing commitment to protecting the cultural and linguistic traditions of Native American students. Towards strengthening these outcomes, they are initiating the development of the National Native Cultural Standards for Education project. To provide background support for future phases…

In general, the vitality and social functions of a language are assessed in connection with such indices as the language's intergenerational transmission, the absolute number of speakers and proportion of speakers in the population, its present domains of use, its development within diverse domains of use, and the availability of its educational…