This volume contains papers presented at the Kittamaqundi Conference on the Uncommonly-Taught Languages, in Columbia, Maryland, September 29-October 2, 1974. The volume has two main sections. The first contains papers dealing with conceptual issues of developing materials for uncommonly-taught languages, without extended reference to any specific…

Language is defined here as a means of social control, a viewpoint by which language restrictions can be seen as a method of discriminating against speakers of minority languages. A government designates an official language to restrict access to economic and political power. This view of language is substantiated by an analysis of the United…

There is a growing perception, particularly among Hispanics, of the urgent need to structure a coherent national policy encompassing the rights of language minorities. No such policy can be framed without taking into consideration the unique situation of Puerto Ricans, who are American citizens by birth but who are taught in Spanish in Puerto…

Second-language and native-language methodologies are equally inappropriate as a foundation for the language training of cultural minorities. Second-language methodologies are based on the assumption that the language is to be acquired in school, as either a subject or a school activity. The relationship between teaching and learning is taken for…

Modern Ethiopia has made progress that has altered the status and functions of its various languages. With modernization, the reasons for and means of interethnic contact have multiplied, creating the need for a common language. Amharic, once confined to a rather small area, has spread geographically and grown in status in the last thousand years,…

In formulating an official language policy, a country must consider cultural, social, political and economic factors. Alternative policies on language instruction can be categorized into three groups: 1) subordination of the home language to the country's dominant language; 2) bilingual maintenance through the simultaneous provision of instruction…

While the Official Languages Act of Canada mandates the governmental use of English and French, it is up to regions, localities, and individuals to develop the attitudes and policies which will safeguard the rights of language minorities (including English speakers in francophone areas) and discourage the cultural isolation of language groups. A…

There are at least 6,000--7,000 languages spoken in the world today, with over half of them endangered. And 61 percent of the endangered languages are within the Asia and Pacific Region. The publication is a report derived from the Regional (Asia and Pacific Region) Workshop on Mother Tongue/Bilingual Literacy Programs for Ethnic Minorities, held…

In French immersion programs in Canadian public schools, kindergarten is taught all in French, and the proportion of French instruction gradually decreases thereafter until in seventh grade instruction is only 50 percent French. This study examined the psychological adjustment of a group of first-grade children who had been enrolled in an early…

A study of Greek speakers' ability to understand and produce two varieities of codes--Katharevousa (K) and Demotic (D)--is reported. The investigation was undertaken to provide evidence supporting or refuting the Greek government's decision to legislate Demotic as the official language of the country. A sample of 545 informants were tested with a…

The member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development generally provide monolingual basic education, and the imposition of a common language remains one of the political and economic functions of the schools. Multilingual or bilingual education is marginal. The individual states' language policies reflect interests in…

This report is an attempt at revising the 1961 Fife-Nelsen report's list of priority African languages. In making decisions regarding priorities, the following kinds of data are considered most useful: statistical data on the languages involved, such as where the languages are spoken and how many people speak them; data on the cultural role of…

The United States is experiencing a change in the school population at all levels of the education system. There is a compelling need to develop an integrated perspective on the literacy needs of the newly diverse population of speakers of English as a Second Language (ESL), so that all language minorities may develop literacy skills for both…

A review of Canada's policy for languages for special purposes looks at (1) federal language policy as reflected in the Official Languages Act and the watchdog office of the Commissioner of Official Languages; (2) the policies of the provinces of New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario; and (3) the impact of governmental policy, and presents three case…

Papahana Kaiapuni is a K-12 indigenous language immersion program in selected public schools in the State of Hawai'i. Instruction in Kaiapuni classrooms is conducted in the Hawaiian language. Program goals include students' development of a high level of proficiency in both Hawaiian and English. For nearly a century, policy banning the Hawaiian…