Joel Spring (2007/this issue) argues that in most nation states around the world today, English plays a central role primarily as a commodity of globalization. At the same time in the United States, English is being perpetuated in nationalistic terms as the only legitimate language. This is done through a variety of mechanisms such as language…

A significant number of community service-learning projects in higher education involve the teaching or tutoring of immigrants in English. As in related service-learning scholarship, these projects are commonly informed by perspectives on cultural difference, social justice, and power relations in U.S. society. Yet while faculty pair their…

The author discusses sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic aspects of literacy education to immigrant children. Covers policies that authorities can follow with regard to literacy and the instruction models following from these policies. Presents arguments for bilingual literacy instruction. Gives a perspective of literacy education for immigrant…

Describes new perspectives on immigrant acculturation in the disciplines of history, mental health, and language studies. Discusses the implications of these new perspectives for national policymaking. (ST)

Dissents with Virginia Sauve's argument that "culture is not about content, but about the making and remaking of relationships." The article argues that there is a strong knowledge basis for any culture and that stereotypes of other cultures evolve from knowledge of how people act and talk. The article concludes that Canadians must share…

After a review of the theoretical context to current research on literacy, consideration is given to aspects of the literacy practices of the Moroccan community in the Ladbroke Grover area of West London. Findings from a study of literacy in its social context in Morocco are cited in the discussion of the West London practices. Emphasis is on the…

Examines a sociolinguistic thesis on language attrition illustrating first-language (L1) loss in a second-language (L2) environment via interviews conducted with two control groups and L1 German speakers living in Australia. Findings reveal that after 10 to 20 years in the L2 environment, the extent of L1 attrition was such that none of the…

Haitians immigrating to the United States speak Creole; at the same time, they frequently claim French as their native language and want their children to be educated in French as well as in English. The teacher of the Haitian immigrant child soon learns that the language which will influence the child's learning of English is not French, but…

Provides a statistical portrait of residents of the United States who speak a language other than English, including the degree of their fluency in English. The analysis is based on the microdata files from the 1990 Census of Population. The data reveal that a continuation of current migration patterns will result in both linguistic concentration…

Compares heritage (ethnic) language programs with English as a second language programs in Canada. Differences in motivation and attitudes are cited among some ethnic groups who are eager to learn English for everyday communicative purposes, but are not interested in spending much time in heritage language classes. (SL)

This issue of the Canadian journal "Transitions," presented in French- and English-language editions, deals with immigration as it relates to families. "Immigration, Integration, Families, Values: Old Wine in New Bottles" (Morton Weinfeld with Kathy Eisner) discusses the process of immigrant integration, which spans…

Jamaican dialect among Blacks in Britain seems to help unify working-class Black youth, thus making it a political, as well as a cultural resource, in the development of Black identity. However, this language form also contributes to differences between some first- and second-generation Afro-Caribbean Blacks in Britain. (IS)

The following papers on Portuguese-American culture and education are included: (1) "Portuguese-American Folklore: An Alternative to the 'rancho folclorico,'" (2) "Creating Cultural Materials for the Portuguese Bilingual Classroom," (3) "Values and Ideology in the School Curriculum: A Case Study," (4) "Portuguese…