At an overarching level this paper attempts to draw attention to emerging trends in the humanities where alternative ways of doing science reconfigure epistemological traditions and research methodologies, the role of intellectuals and their engagement with current conditions of the world, including ways in which scholars gazes are constituted.…

The subject of multilingualism in institutions has long been a central interest in sociolinguistics, and it is worth asking why. The answer lies in the role of institutions in the modern nation state, a point made over and over again by Michel Foucault. Institutions control access to all the resources a state can distribute; it distributes them…

Monolingual speakers of a national language continue to be the ideal figures on which national identities and senses of community are built. Yet this longstanding equation between nation and language is being contested by other ideologies. Alternatives are emerging from such disparate social locations as the European Union, now advocating for…

As US classrooms approach a decade of response to No Child Left Behind, many questions and concerns remain around the education of those labeled as "English language learners," in both English as a Second Language and bilingual education classrooms. A national policy context where standardized tests dominate curriculum and instruction…

Choosing any one alternative out of the three educational models provided by Joel Spring (2007/this issue) may not really be adequate for a new social-sociolinguistic theory for a potentially just world order. In this article, the author contends that as an alternative to the persistently degenerating consumerist model of the education security…

Responds to an earlier article that critiqued a book written by the author of this article on linguistic diversity in the Pacific.(Author/VWL)

Claims that the mother tongue function in foreign language learning over a background of two or more languages is transferable to any one of the background languages and that this transfer is predictable by a set of principles. Presents applications of the principles to multilingual settings of Nigeria and Cameroon. (SED)

Joel Spring (2007/this issue) argues that in most nation states around the world today, English plays a central role primarily as a commodity of globalization. At the same time in the United States, English is being perpetuated in nationalistic terms as the only legitimate language. This is done through a variety of mechanisms such as language…

In "The English Only Restaurant," Martinez Palau presents a number of Latino characters who, seduced by the economic promises of assimilation, attempt to suppress their linguistic and cultural identities in order to run a business the "American way." As befits a sociopolitical satire, the play on the one hand consciously…

English is the most widely used language for commerce, industrial expansion, diplomacy, science, and other fields. As speakers of other languages adapt it to their purposes, educators must adjust their perceptions of how the language is used. This idea, and related ones, are discussed in this article. (JL)

Discusses aspects of the English as a second language (ESL) immigrant and ethnic minority classroom. Discusses the practical problems faced by teachers in the multicultural and multilingual classroom, the possible effect of racism on language learning, and the need for a multicultural rather than monocultural approach to ESL. (Author/PJM)

Refutes the concept that a single and universal tongue is ideal and the rich diversity of languages is an unfortunate state of affairs, pointing out that the mastery of several languages enhances cultural understanding and experience. (eight references) (CB)

Discusses the usage of French in Gabon. As in other nations of francophone Africa, French is the language of upward social mobility in Gabon, and it offers access to the international community. However, one factor peculiar to Gabon is the virtual absence of a Gabonese national language, which promotes a greater dependency upon a mastery of the…

Outlines the language planning situation in Australia, makes a case for the establishment of a national language policy, and discusses the steps that must be undertaken if a successful policy is to be achieved. (AM)

Although Kiswahili has been successfully promoted as the medium of primary and adult education in Tanzania, its position in secondary and tertiary levels is still precarious. Suggests that Kiswahili become the language of instruction in secondary schools, with English taught as a foreign language. (DMM)