A 3-year ethnographic study of middle-school students in a two-way bilingual program found that Mexican-background students learned to value English over Spanish at school. The hidden curriculum, instructional practices, and assessment policy devalued the students' native linguistic cultural capital compelling them to use English in the classroom…

In this examination of Mexican-American bilingual college writers, it is argued that implicit language ideologies, common misconceptions about bidialectalism/bilingualism, and the classroom attitudinal domain subvert the success of ethnolinguistic minority students. The author designed and conducted a randomized language attitude survey (N = 195)…

Drawing on the work of researchers in several disciplines, this article describes and discusses methods which can be used for analysing joint activity during computer-based, side-by-side, collaborative activity in educational settings. It is argued that the choice of methods in any particular study should take into account the range of…

Sociolinguistic studies of spoken Arabic show at least three varieties at different levels of prestige: (1) Modern Standard Arabic (MSA); (2) regional standard with local prestige; and (3) vernacular varieties. The social function of the local prestigious nonstandard features can override the influence of the prestige of MSA. (Author/LMO)

Reviews recent research on the nature of teachers' and students' talk in the classroom, specifically addressing the teachers' expectations of student talk and behavior. (SRT)

This issue dealing with language discusses language and social structure, social progress and sociolinguistics, oral and literate traditions, Portuguese Creole dialects in West Africa, a framework for describing how languages spread, socio-cultural conflict and bilingual education, linguistic variation in one-language societies, the language…

Bernstein's theory of the relationships among social class, language "codes," family/school social structures, and school success is discussed, as is Labov's rejection of the "verbal deficit" concept. A relevant experiment is described. (Available in microfiche from: Carfax Publishing Company, Haddon House,…

Examines the modes of accommodation to America of working- and middle-class mothers of Cuban heritage living in Miami, Florida, in terms of language proficiencies. Findings indicate that working-class mothers encourage their children to learn English in order to succeed, a subtractive form of bilingualism, whereas middle-class mothers encourage…

Discusses problems associated with the implementation of mother tongue education in Zambia. Focus is on the sociolinguistic situation, language policy after independence, sociolinguistic implications, language use in different domains, language use and ethnic identity in Zambia, Kenya, and Tanzania, prospects for mother tongue education; bilingual…

Examines oral cultures in a world of literacy, assessment, and certification. Explores the oral youth culture of adolescent males in rural Jamaica. Utilizes an interactional sociolinguistical approach to document the young males sense-making strategies, which bypass scripted literacy as a means for learning and concentrates on oral and visual…

Reports on studies focusing on individual attrition of English as a Second Language in an environment where Hebrew is the dominant language. Age, sociolinguistic features, input variables, and linguistic variables are discussed as well as major trends of change in language use that identify a limited reversal of the acquisition process. 29…

Explores the extent that sociological concepts have been incorporated into the vernacular of U.S. society and the impact of sociological techniques on politics and society. Study tracked frequency of selected sociological terms in the popular press. Identifies a danger of sociology becoming too popular and losing its credibility. (MJP)

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)

Fundamental issues in language policy and planning are discussed: language death, language survival, language change, language revival, language shift and expansion, language contact and pidginization or creolization, and literacy development. (Contains 21 references.) (LB)

Discusses the ways in which various American Indian community schools and programs have addressed the concept of language and cultural maintenance and renewal, focusing on the role of bilingual programs, classroom interactions, community involvement, and indigenous teachers. The perspectives of the Yupik Indians on indigenous education are…