A discussion of disappearing and no longer used languages in anthropomorphic metaphors "language death" and "language suicide." Three stages in the disappearance of several specific languages are described. Ultimately, the direct cause of "language suicide" is not disappearance of rules but disappearance of speakers;…

An analysis of the process of disappearance in which each language is engaged. Information concerning their past, present and future as indicated by the sociocultural profile of the ethnic groups concerned is given. The reasons for the language disappearance and, on the dialectological level, signs of language death are noted. (AMH)

A 1971 study of formation of language attitudes and their basis, and in particular the concept of "best" language variety, among predominantly immigrant Mexican-American parents is reported. (RM)

A presentation of evidence gathered in a study of a dying dialect of Scottish Gaelic that reduction in structure accompanies reduction in use. Recognition of distortion through unavoidable reliance on semi-speaker informants seems possible on the basis of internal or external evidence. More study is needed on the semi-speaker phenomenon. (AMH)

Observations on the situation of Provencal based on a study of inhabitants of a small town in Provence. A situation leading to abandonment of a language is described. It is indicated that the dissociation of all defining elements of a language corresponds to the process of abandonment of the language. (AMH)

After a definition of terms, a dialectological and sociolinguistic review of linguistic minorities existing in Italy is made. Geographic aspects of distribution and retrogression of regional speech and use of Italian by minorities form the basis for differentiating degrees of deculturization. The role of linguistic and other minorities is studied.…

Differences in communication and interaction styles of groups defined as literate and those defined as oral are discussed. (RM)

Summarizes the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis on language and thought process, along with several critical viewpoints. The writings of Koschmieder, Gipper, and Lenneberg, as well as psychological and linguistic aspects of experiments on color differentiation and conditioned response, are discussed. (Text is in German.) (DH)

The establishment and development of the English language in Australia is investigated. Present Australian pronunciation is compared to popular London pronunciation of the late 18th century, and today's general Received English is compared to both. (RM)

Based on the theory that educational systems reflect dominant principles within their cultures and that socialization through family and the educational institutions creates a particular sense of identity, attention is drawn to problems created by the challenge to the Indo-Pakistani student's sense of identity when he enters a British university.…

A sociolinguistic analysis is made of the use of gratitude expressions by Marathi and Hindi speakers in South Asia, and a comparison is made to American practices. (RM)

A study of code-switching, the use of two or more linguistic varieties in the same interaction. Code-switching as interpreted in this study is a meta-interactional cue which is activated to signal a change in direction of the interaction. Such a response to the interaction process is considered significant. (AMH)