This article describes problems faced by the individual in different diglossic conditions. It centers on the functional differentiation of the Finnish and Swedish languages in Sweden and the linguistic consequences for two originally Finnish-speaking groups. (CFM)

Takes the view that psycholinguistics must consider the interaction of language and social structure to explain the emergence and choice of alternative linguistic forms, and discusses cases of up- and down-grading of concepts and the change of a morphological rule. These cases are considered linguistic indices of changing social attitudes.…

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

Language cultivation includes any activity aimed consciously at influencing a language so that it improves or does not deteriorate. Three dilemmas face Swedish language cultivators: (1) the complexity of societal ideology; (2) the complexity of language itself as a social institution; (3) the balance between social integration and individual…

The longitudinal pilot study described here shows that immigrant children, trained prior to school entry and untrained, have great difficulties in language, though the groups are better able to cope. Results suggest some support for the assumption about the importance of the first language in the acquisition of the second. (Author/HP)

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)