Confucius (551-479 B.C.) believed in the power of language to regulate society. Concerned about civil war and the moral and social decay of his time, he advocated a peaceful society with a mild and moderate form of law and order and with an emphasis on the well-being of individuals through compassion, kindness, and justice. This form of law…

This paper suggests classroom activities to develop awareness of language and the sociolinguistic aspects of language proficiency and to help eliminate language prejudice. The exercises are presented in seven categories: (1) examination of connotative and denotative language, names and nicknames; (2) dialects and slang and the status attached to…

The study of pidgin and creole languages, usually emphasizing oral language codes, offers insights into language, especially as an observably dynamic phenomenon. However, channel is highly influential on the surface form of the language code. Pidgin sign language codes, not dependent on oral language codes, can serve as an ideal forum for the…

The term "village English" has been used by a number of people to label the English used by Alaskan natives. The term appears in discussions of educational problems and often the phenomenon is cited as a significant reason for the lower than expected achievement of Alaskan school children. It is suggested that statements about…

Even in culturally homogeneous settings, language has an important role in the social interaction of adolescents. This study investigated the importance of values concerning dialect and language variation in a group of 62 ninth-grade students. Subjects, 23 black, 21 white, and 18 native Spanish-speaking individuals, were asked to listen to a tape…

Evaluation of a bilingual's proficiency in a second language (S) should consider the extent to which his performance is influenced by his competence in his native or primary language (P). An evaluation of proficiency in an S language should reflect the intuitions of S's native speakers. It is found that native speakers do not regard all instances…

It is possible to think of women's language in terms of the model implied by the following statement. Insofar as native speakers of English are concerned, the language of women in America has four sets of components: those shared with the language of men in America; those shared, in varying proportions, with other women living in patriarchies;…

Differential evaluations of speech usually occur along the standard-nonstandard dimension. Standard accent rates highly in regard to status and competence but low on the dimensions of integrity and attractiveness. In a Canadian context, however, a regional standard (mainland Nova Scotia) compared favorably or equally in all dimensions to other…

Highlights the danger of using already constructed typologies implying permanent relationships between elements and monolithic categories to analyze real examples of language conflict. A specific case of an established bilingual secondary school in Wales illustrates this danger. (Author/CB)

Although economic considerations are influential in one's success or failure at second language learning, sociolinguistic and psycholinguistic factors should not be overlooked. Suggests that a fuller understanding of language acquisition and language behavior might be gained by a combined analysis of economic data (human capital model), family…

Explores the relationship between degree of accent in the English of Mexican American speakers as assessed by native raters, and the social judgments of raters toward accented speakers. Results of the study are discussed in relation to Giles and Powesland's (1975) incremental theory of class-related standard. (Author/MES)

Focuses on the difficulties involved in keeping abreast of changes in Australian language policy and in attempting to guess the next trend in language teacher education. The number of publications indicates strong government support for the concept of language education, a support backed by millions of dollars allocated for this area. There is a…

Examines policy issues and options for the promotion of Asian Studies in Australia in the 1990s and suggests that the Asian Studies Association of Australia make constructive recommendations to attain a balance between language and nonlanguage Asian studies programs. Three models are used: the "concentrated,""hybrid," and…

Explores how Cantonese-speaking math students and their teacher use different languages to achieve academic and social success in their multilingual classroom in Toronto. The article discusses inter-ethnic tensions related to the use of languages other than English and raises questions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of multilingual…

Discusses the issue of who owns English from the perspective of non-native Englishes in Southern Africa, with a focus on the linguistic processes underpinning the owning of English there. Suggests that claiming ownership of English in the African context means to make English carry the weight of one's African experience and to alter it to suit its…