The principal motivation for and main value of the national language concept is its character as a standard for all users, but that standard most often reflects the norms and beliefs of a cultural and economic elite and the "nation" becomes synonymous with the ruling class. It would be more useful to talk about a standard usage imposed on the…

This paper presents and discusses some longitudinal observations of a case study of multilingual language acquisition from birth to the age of five. The analyses are based on data provided from written observations and audio recordings made on a regular basis. The child in this study is acquiring two minority languages at home and the two official…

A discussion of the relationship between national identity and language in Spanish-speaking Latin America focuses on issues concerning indigenous languages, education, and literacy. The sociolinguistic history and configuration Spanish-speaking Latin America are outlined briefly, noting the influences of indigenous populations, non-Spanish…

New Zealand shares with other Southeast Asian nations two sets of problems which stem from the presence of several distinct communities in one geographical/political area: the first relates to treatment of linguistic minorities, indigenous and immigrant; the second is that of social or regional dialects which, while not totally distinct from an…

A ten-member commission on French as a Second Language (FSL) was established by the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF) in July 1978, with a three-year mandate. One of the commission's tasks was to review the national scene in the area of FSL education. A process was initiated to survey CTF member organizations, to review education acts and…

Using the Arizona 5% Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) from the 2000 U.S. Census, we compare language-related figures for the Mexican-origin population with those for the total population. Additionally, we compare place of birth and educational attainment data for Mexican-origin persons who speak Spanish at home with those who speak English-only…

Claims three of the arguments advocated by proponents of the English Language Amendment (ELA) are myths, including (1) linguistic diversity causes political conflict; (2) an official language determines national unity; and (3) bilingual education decelerates the entrance of non-English speakers into the American mainstream. Argues that the ELA is…

This book examines the ways in which people belonging to different language and cultural communities live together in the same political community, and how political and structural tensions arise to divide them along language lines. It analyzes the historical background and recent controversy over language in the United States, then compares the…

Since Reunification of French Cameroon and British Cameroons in 1961, the country has adopted French and English as its joint official languages and recommended the promotion of bilingualism in these two foreign languages in official domains. This paper focuses on the primary school level in the francophone sub system of education and examines the…

Following its independence from France in 1956, Morocco declared Arabic its official language. Successive policies of Arabization have been devised with the aim of ultimately converting French language domains into Arabic ones. However, there are two kinds of problems with the way the Moroccan language situation has been described and analyzed for…

A discussion of the choice of official languages in Nigeria first gives an overview of the current language situation in Nigeria, particularly of indigenous language usage, sketches the history of English, French, and Anglo-Nigerian Pidgin (ANP) both before and after independence, outlines the main proposals for language planning, and draws some…

This book for young readers explores the controversy surrounding the use of languages other than English in education and social settings in the United States. Supporters of the "Official English," or "U.S. English," movement believe that the government and schools should do anything they can to get all Americans to use English…

The impact of Puerto Rico's and Quebec's laws on official bilingualism of translation and interpreting services is examined. In the case of Puerto Rico, public policy concerning the use of Spanish and English since 1899 is reviewed, focusing on early laws and those passed since 1991. The status of the translation profession is discussed, and it is…

The historical background and the current status of Swahili in Kenya and Tanzania, where it is designated as the national language, and in Uganda, where it has assumed a less prominent role, are described. Major factors contributing to the selection of national languages in the region are presented. The ways both linguistic and sociopolitical…

The basic task of the National Asian Languages and Studies in Australian Schools (NALSAS) strategy has been to resource and promote the teaching and learning of Asian languages and studies of Asia in Australian schools. NALSAS focuses on four Asian languages: Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian, Japanese, and Korean. The studies of Asia are broader,…