This paper is a study in language acculturation with special reference to the Indianization of the English language. It briefly traces the history of the diffusion of bilingualism in English on the culturally and linguistically pluralistic Indian subcontinent. The functional roles of English are discussed and the formal influences of Indian…

Examines the various connections that four (English as a second language) grammar books posit between the English language and Indian society and the extent to which the books reflect English as a mode of communication which expresses Indians' consciousness of themselves as citizens of an independent country. (Author/CB)

Three hundred and forty-two students of English, engineering, and commerce in India were surveyed to obtain data on five major topics: (1) their English language background, (2) their present and planned future use of English, (3) their reasons for studying English, (4) the English skills they desired, and (5) their attitudes toward English. All…

A discussion of language policy in India's educational system identifies substantive issues of both theoretical and comparative interest; presents a detailed account of the issues associated with policy-making for language in education in the Indian socio-political context; and discusses the current status of implementation of these policies, with…

The notion of language dependency presupposes that there is a hierarchy of languages in a multilingual society, and that each language is assigned a functional role in a multilingual individual's restricted or extended spheres of linguistic interaction. In South Asia, language dependency has resulted in linguistic convergence of two types: (1)…

The Ljubljana seminar, whose background and working papers are presented in this volume, was an outcome of the United Nations' consideration of the problems of ethnic and linguistic minorities. The twenty-five papers cover topics such as the study of multinational societies; the protection of minorities and minority rights in Yugoslavia,…

In India, the use of language dialect and style, like many aspects of Indian thought and life, follows a continuum from the ritually pure and worthy of respect to the ritually defiled and unworthy. In North India, according to adult informants, Hindi is spoken at school, in formal business contacts or government offices, in formal ceremonies; it…

Asserts that contemporary history and historiography is "official" history that ignores the daily struggles of people for their continued survival. Argues that, while public illiteracy has nearly disappeared, individuals are ignorant of the wealth of primary-source materials of other cultures' histories. (CFR)

Many English tests based on Western culture are inappropriate for regions where English use differs from that of Europe and North America. In these non-Western settings, it is desirable that English assessments be based on real-world English use. Therefore, identifying tasks of non-Western English language use is a beginning step in developing…

In India today, the traditional tolerant attitude toward linguistic and ethnic heterogeneity has given way to a drive for language autonomy. The national language policy appears susceptible to the sensitivities of different pressure groups, while the state policies have been slow to respond to the sensitivities of language minorities. Today,…

Three diverse case studies in which developing nations (the Philippines, India, and Nigeria) have chosen English as the language of instruction for the purpose of enhancing national development are described. In each case, the linguistic situation presents serious conflicts between the forces of nationalism and modernization. The Philippines…

A study examined the linguistic processes involved in the lexical modernization of Urdu and the extent to which the changes affect the efficiency of communication, the Urdu-speaking community, and the language itself. Data were drawn from the language used in popular Urdu daily papers and periodicals covering the complete range of activities in…

This book focuses on the minority languages of Europe, those other than the national languages of European Union member states, by looking at the demographic, sociolinguistic, and educational aspects of both regional and immigrant languages. Empirical evidence for the status of these other languages of multicultural Europe is brought together in a…

This collection of papers explores language socialization from very early childhood through adulthood. After "Introduction: Toward a Dynamic Model of Language Socialization" (Robert Bayley and Sandra R. Schecter), there are 16 papers in 4 parts. Part 1, "Language Socialization at Home," includes: (1) "Transforming…

In accordance with the growing trend in language teaching philosophy towards assessing learner needs before choosing methods and materials, this study concentrates on the attitudes of final year bachelor degree program students towards learning and using English. These 821 students from Thailand, India, and Singapore were majoring in the fields…