The geolinguistic history of Norden (Scandinavia plus Finland) is reviewed. The shifting political boundaries, particularly of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, have contributed to a complex distribution of language populations that is all the more interesting given the common ancestry of most of the languages involved. The forces of nationalism have…

Examines the bilingual situation in the Federal Republic of Germany where members of a foreign minority, while striving to preserve their own national identity, are compelled to learn another language in order to assimilate into the cultural system of the new homeland. The problems for migrant workers, specifically, are treated. (Author/PJM)

Examines the position of Tamil as the language of an ethnic minority in Malaysia and Singapore, placing the issue of Tamil and language maintenance within the larger sociolinguistic milieu in the two countries and drawing conclusions about the role of language policy and planning in the determination of linguistic outcomes. (SM)

Examines the spatial basis of language planning for the Welsh-speaking regions of the United Kingdom and discusses the relationship between language planning and language rights. Conflict between rights of individuals and rights of groups and between rights of Welsh speakers and those of English speakers are also discussed. (Author/PJM)

Many minority languages are unwritten, undocumented, and thus considered unsuitable for institutional communication and for inclusion in national literacy campaigns. Literacy should be set in a context that puts the local people at the center of the process, respects their cultural identity, and enables them to set their own agenda for…

Papers in this collection were presented at a 1982 symposium convened to address the question, "What is the best way to provide school education for immigrant children?" The papers (and their authors) include (1) "The Social and Ideological Context of Multicultural Education in Immigrant Countries" (Ronald Taft); (2)…