Debates about language and literacy in Uganda were renewed with publication in 1992 of a government white paper. Most likely this paper will conclude that the English language will continue to command the highest profile at the national level, with the local languages struggling, with diverse levels of success, to follow suit. (Contains 13…

Language choice (LC) for literacy must consider mother tongue, language of first sight, local lingua francas, and any readily accessible world language. Common but false assumptions regarding LC are noted: multilingualism as a barrier to development, the necessity of a world language, and the permanance of language patterns. (Contains four…

The privileged position of English in Zambia is discussed, followed by an argument that using English as the language of instruction is counterproductive. Practical and sociocultural implications of teaching "standard" English are considered. (28 references) (Author/LB)

Discusses attempts to make English the official language of the United States, examines the pros and cons, and describes the impact of these efforts on libraries. An example at the Monterey Park Public Library (California) is examined; meeting the needs of all members of the community is addressed; and possible future outlooks are suggested. (four…

Suggests that racism may be the motivation for the English-only laws passed in 18 states. Cites studies showing the benefits of bilingual education over English immersion. Concludes that the English-only movement would impede the delivery of psychological, educational, psychometric, and health services for many American residents. (DM)

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)

Reviews the history of Catalonia, its language policy, and strategies/methods by which the Catalan language was introduced into the educational system (e.g., by educating the teaching staff, using Catalan in instruction and educational administration, developing Catalan-language teaching materials, and developing immersion programs in Catalan for…

Describes the institution of Bahasa Indonesia as the state language of Indonesia. Discusses the use of Indonesian, 400+ vernaculars, and foreign languages in the country; the implementation of state language policy through formal and nonformal language education; and the rise of bilingualism in Indonesia. (DMM)

Suggests the possibility of mapping each person's linguistic identity in two dimensions: the number of languages spoken and the situation-specific variants of each language. Discusses the academic disadvantages associated with particular socioeconomic variants, particularly low-class speech/accents. Advocates greater tolerance of variation and…

A survey measuring native French speakers' preference for English words instead of the officially sanctioned French equivalents revealed that subjects had high passive recognition of French terms, concluding that the French terminological process reminded users that French had ample resources to create its own expressions without automatically…

Reports attitudes toward a 1994 South Africa language policy that declared 11 official languages. The decision had particular significance for the South African national defense force (SANDF). Special focus is on language practices at the Sixth South African Infantry Battalion in Eastern Cape Province. (Author/VWL)

This response to an article on the effect of recent developments (particularly globalization and advances in technology) on the production and perception of language focuses on two issues discussed in the article: the nature of translation and the role of universities in translation training. (Author/VWL)

This response to an article on the effect of recent developments (particularly globalization and advances in technology) on the production and perception of language comments on the current political trends of globalization and its extreme counterpart tribalism and the impact of these on existing cultural identities or popular stereotypes for…

Analyzes the ideological underpinnings of language policies in Galicia, an autonomous community in northwestern Spain where Galician and Spanish enjoy co-official status. Describes and critiques the politically hegemonic (or official) and non-hegemonic (nationalist) overt language policies in Galicia, and discusses the linguistic culture of…

While decline and/or extinction threaten an ever-increasing number of languages, most of these are minority tongues that struggle for survival against dominant languages. The present paper reports the case of Belarusian, a national and co-official language, which the great majority of the population of Belarus considers as its mother tongue, but…