While advocacy of minority language rights (MLR) has become well established in sociolinguistics, language policy and planning and the wider human rights literature, it has also come under increased criticism in recent times for a number of key limitations. In this paper, I address directly three current key criticisms of the MLR movement. The…

The Council of Europe and European Commission have repeatedly called for the development of language policies by higher education institutions (HEIs) in the European Union. This paper presents the results of a survey of Irish HEIs regarding their language policies and considers the implications for language learning in Ireland. (Contains 2 notes.)

This paper reports on a case study of organised support for students who experience problems with language or academic study skills at a pharmacy faculty of an Australian university. Employing the Language Management Theory (LMT), this study exemplifies organised management and explores the various processes involved, such as the noting of…

The purpose of this study is to explain the formulation, implementation, and outcome of Ethiopia's instructional language policy in light of the PRINCE system of power analysis as adapted by Fowler (2004), along with several literature references pertinent to the issue. After providing a brief background on Ethiopia and its education and language…

This article examines colonial language policies and practices at the government Central School, Hong Kong--the so-called Eton of the East--in the second half of the nineteenth century. The article, which draws on a range of unpublished primary sources, seeks to enhance our knowledge of an important episode in Hong Kong's educational history and,…

This monograph provides an overview of the language situation in the three Baltic countries: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It examines the recent change in language regimes that the Baltic States have deliberately brought about since the restitution of their independence, the nature of these changes, the opposition they have engendered and the…

On April 5, 1991, Spanish was made the sole official language of Puerto Rico, a move that replaced the 1902 Official Languages Act, which had put English and Spanish on an equal footing on the island, in name if not in practice. This paper analyzes this language status policy decision in terms of both its linguistic and extralinguistic purposes…

A discussion of language policy development focuses on the components of rational policy with reference to the Queensland (Australia) language education policy developed recently. The paper argues that language policy is ultimately derived from the nature and needs of the society, the goals identified for the future of the society, and the…

Swedish research and opinion on bilingualism, language policy, and bilingual education in Sweden is reviewed. The Swedish debate on language planning and bilingual education revolves around two perspectives: structural-functional theory and conflict theory. Swedish research consists primarily of statistical and descriptive studies rather than…

Romania is a country with a good number of linguistic minorities. Descriptive linguistic data include the number and kinds of languages spoken in what areas and by how many people and their attitudes toward the languages. Models and typologies of language planning are presented to discern their appropriateness. (SCC)

This study has focused on the use of language in the United Republic of Cameroon and on individual bilingualism with consideration of the social and political repercussions of social practices and educational policy. (RK)

A discussion of research on the cognitive, personal, and social correlates of bilingualism focuses on those consequences for individuals who are "caused" to become bilingual by their participation in innovative language education programs such as immersion, bilingual immersion, interlocking, or two-way bilingual programs. The purpose of this paper…

English has historically been accepted as the de facto language standard for the United States. Legislative efforts have attempted to manipulate language in this country, and there is presently an attempt to introduce a constitutional amendment making English the official language of the United States. Supporters of the amendment stress problems…

Language planning is official, government-level activity concerning the selection and promotion of a unified administrative language or languages. Language planning initiatives arise in response to sociopolitical needs and attempt to meet those needs by reducing linguistic diversity. Several stages occur in the language planning process. The first…

Chronicles the effort to preserve bilingual education in California following the passage, in November 1986, of Proposition 63 that made English the state's official language. On the day after the election in which this initiative was supported, its sponsors made public their intent to abolish California's bilingual education program. Compromise…