Outlines the current language situation in Singapore in relation to demographic and political changes. Reasons are given for the preeminence of English and the push for Mandarin Chinese as the official language. The role of Premier Lee Kwan Yew and the media in propounding the Republic language policy is discussed. (Author/PJM)

Describes the problems involved in translating federal law in Canada from English to French, and proposes a short-term solution for faster and better translation and a future solution involving the drafting of laws simultaneously in the two languages. (AM)

The insights of 12 foreign scholars and language scientists into the battle over making English the "de jure" official language of the United States are presented. The opinions come from England, Canada, the Philippines, the People's Republic of China, Australia, Belgium, India, and the Federal Republic of Germany. The consensus of these…

Discusses the policies of Sri Lanka concerning the status of Sinhala as official language and the status of Tamil and English. The first independent government relegated English to unofficial status as a language of special domains, but it has recently been suggested that it be recognized as a neutral link-language. (SED)

States the need for placing greater emphasis on writing and less on translation, particularly in a country such as Canada where two official languages require many translations and where the French language is constantly threatened by the overwhelming pressure of English. Sees translation quality as largely dependent on quality writing.…

This article examines the position of German in the European Community (EC): What role has German played since the founding of EC? How did the two current working languages, French and English, come about? What are the pros and cons of German as the third working language? Who are the advocates and opponents of the German language and why? (AB)

Focuses on the quest of contested speech forms for legitimacy as languages rather than dialects, the distinction being explored solely in a political context. Suggests that although the European Union supports the role of nation states in the legitimization of languages, the regular use of French and English has enhanced the status of these two…

The International Corpus of English (ICE) was initiated to support study of the English used in countries where English is either a majority first language or an official additional language. The national or regional corpora are expected to conform to a specified common design. Software exists to facilitate the grammatical annotations of the…

In science and in all other domains that require communication across borders, we need one lingua franca, and this lingua franca will be English. The adoption of the native language of some as everyone's lingua franca unavoidably raises a problem of justice in various senses. One of these is cooperative justice, the fair distribution of the cost…

Tracing the effects of the "laissez-faire" postcolonial politics of language in the United States, which in fact enabled English to become the dominant language through cultural rather than institutional means, the essay then suggests how the linguistic memory that emerges from decolonization and nation building continues, often in…

This manual was written to encourage and aid Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) and their affiliates to respond to the official English movement that is currently raging in the United States. It includes a copy of the 1987 "TESOL Resolution on Language Rights." Specific articles include: (1) "A Brief History…

THE ONLY GROUP IN SOUTH AFRICA TO HAVE DEVELOPED A NATIONALISM BASED, AT LEAST PARTLY, ON ETHNICITY AND LANGUAGE ARE THE AFRIKANERS. DUE TO AFRIKANER FEELINGS OF NATIONALISM, ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO SEGREGATE AFRICANS AND NON-AFRICANS OF DIFFERENT LANGUAGE GROUPS FROM THE AFRIKANERS AND FROM EACH OTHER. MOTHER-TONGUE INSTRUCTION IS STRESSED AT…

Analyzes the issues at stake in the debate over official language legislation in the United States, focusing on the agenda of U.S. ENGLISH, an organization promoting the legislation of English as the official language of the United States. The article argues that restricting language rights can lead to social segregation and that people speak…

English has become important in the Pacific island nations for four reasons: the status of English as the official or unofficial national language of many Pacific island nations; the number of indigenous language varieties; the need for a lingua franca; and the need for a language for wider communication with the outside world for diplomatic and…

Clement M. Doke's 1929-1930 research on Zimbabwean languages has played a key role in shaping the tribalised and politicised linguistic terrain that characterises modern Zimbabwe. Doke, professor of linguistics at the University of Witwaters-rand, was commissioned in 1929 by the government of Southern Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe) to research…