This paper reports on an investigation of the effect of religion on language use in Singapore. Data come from the Sociolinguistic Survey of Singapore, 2006, a large-scale language survey linked to follow-up studies. The conceptual framework was based upon Castells' idea of a new social order in the network society; the main research questions were…

This article examines the parallel development of language planning and land planning within the Loon River Cree First Nation. Loon River Cree territory, located in north-central Alberta, Canada, is an area where major oil and gas industry, as well as logging and mining are constantly encroaching. The community, who still use Cree in their daily…

This paper tells a tentative story from the preliminary findings of The Sociolinguistic Survey of Singapore, 2006 (SSS 2006). Though the main study reports on language use amongst Chinese, Malay and Indian communities, my focus is only on Indian homes. The paper reports results from five domains: school, family and friends, media, public space and…

This paper defines and provides examples of a category of linguistic minorities that we call extrinsic minorities. Three case studies are summarised to illustrate the spectrum of linguistic heterogeneity of extrinsic minorities, and the linguistic consequences. These cases show a continuum of how they fit into our definition of extrinsic…

This article contributes to our knowledge of endangered language revitalization by offering a case study of a Cherokee Nation (CN) preschool immersion program named Tsalagi Ageyui, "Our Beloved Cherokee." A naturalistic inquiry into the micro- and macrosociocultural dimensions of reversing Cherokee language shift reveals that, of all CN language…

Using Belgium as an example, argues that a linguistic ecological viewpoint is important for the description of linguistic/ethnic contact areas in which one or more languages are in danger of dying without any apparent political decisions. It is not as important for the description of stable, diglossic, or multilingual areas or for open bilingual…

Using as a framework the theory of the ecology of language formulated by Einar Haugen, compares two Finnish minorities in Sweden, one which ceased to exist in the middle of this century and one, the Tornedal Finnish minority, which still exists. Discusses circumstances favorable to the preservation of Finnish in the Tornedal. (SED)

Critiques the concept of ethnolinguistic vitality developed by Giles, Bourhis, and Taylor. Argues that the dimensions of vitality outlined are ambiguous, and gross and inexact tools of analysis in their application. (EKN)

Discusses the study of the unprecedented revival of the Hebrew language in Palestine during 1890-1914. The study focused on status planning but corpus planning also served as a critical component. Examines codification during the revitalization period. (Author/VWL)

Addresses the theoretical context for language revival and sees language revival as part of a continuum of restorative activity. Examines difficulties that lie in terminology and perceptions of success. (Author/VWL)

Presents a case of language revitalisation in "settled" Australia, considers the nature of the language ecology in indigenous Australia, and advances some of the reasons for the success of this case of language revitalization. (Author/VWL)

Describes recent research on language maintenance to provide broad, worldwide coverage of different language contact situations. Surveys various countries in which research within ethnic and minority language communities illuminates language maintenance or shift, or revitalization, for that group. (Author/VWL)

Reports on a study of the early lexical acquisition of two children who acquired Spanish and English simultaneously. Data provide strong counter evidence to Faingold's (1996) proposal that children acquiring languages not closely related tend to favor a reduction strategy, whereas those acquiring closely related languages favor a maintenance…

Discusses the history of the relatively new field of language policy and planning. Focuses on language ecology and illustrates schematically the various forces at work in a linguistic ecology from a language-planning-activity perspective. (Author/VWL)

Focuses on the language situation in the Russian diaspora in Latvia and Estonia and analyzes these factors that are critical in determining language outcomes for a language community within one country that speaks a majority language of another. Examines the possibility of three outcomes: language maintenance, bilingualism, and language shift in a…