Speech samples were obtained from college student Miami-area Cuban informants in an attempt to test the hypothesis that a compensatory phonemic change takes place in certain Spanish dialects in which syllable-final and word-final /s/ appear optionally as zero. Vowel system, distinction (open versus closed), and length are looked at. (SCC)

Several studies are reviewed in which response measures seem to lend insight into the nature of language attitudes, considering "language attitude" in the sense of an internal mediating state of the perceiver. (RM)

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)

Data is presented in support of the thesis that the sounds of Bangkok Thai can only be accurately described with a variation model. Consonant clusters were chosen to support this contention. It is asserted that Standard Thai cannot be equated with the actual speech of any specific group. (Author/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)

A description of field research which attributes the declining use of Breton to the conflict of status roles when primary socialization is in Breton and secondary socialization is in French. The growing impact of French civilization leads to increasing primary socialization in French. Notes, a questionnaire and references are included. (AMH)

Describes a study showing how a linguistic pattern of alternation affecting an entire speech community is realized in individual idiolects; an example representative of colloquial Helsinki speech is used. Results support observations already presented by Labov, according to which linguistic change is linguistically structured to a very high…

Article also appeared in "International Journal of the Sociology of Language," n1; and "Advances in Language Planning," The Hague, Mouton, 1973. (DD)

Describes the linguistic backgrounds of Sweden and Finland and presents a few examples of recent sociolinguistic research in these countries. (CFM)

Eighteen issues are outlined concerning theory and measurement of attitude, and language attitude in particular, and research motivated by these issues described. (RM)

The proposition that education affects dialect to a significant degree is examined. The findings leave doubt whether an educational differential is adequate to explain the maintenance of dialect differences between ethnic groups. (Author/RM)

An attempt to apply Blom's and Gumperz' model of code-switching to a small Swedish community in northern Sweden, Burtrask. The informants spoke standard Swedish, the Burtrask dialect, and a third variety which was a combination of the two. (CFM)

The shift from regional to social variation in linguistic behavior has necessitated inclusion of larger numbers of informants in studies. This paper examines some sampling techniques and discusses the structuring of a community profile representative of a target population and exhibiting necessary social variation for accurate dialect study. (CHK)

This article describes part of an experiment aimed at elucidating the relationship between speaker, speech act and listener from a sociolinguistic and sociopsychological perspective. High school students were asked to judge the taped speech of Swedish informants from Boras, Trelleborg and the Torne Valley. (CFM)