This paper outlines a methodology for understanding and describing the reading activities of a small group of black inner city junior high school students. The methodology is based on the assumption that reading can be viewed as a social activity or process that becomes defined through the interaction of participants. Data are collected through…

This paper presents some reasons for reconsidering the use of discrete structure-point tests of language proficiency, and suggests an alternative basis for designing proficiency tests. Discrete point tests are one of the primary tools of the audio-lingual method of teaching a foreign language and are based on certain assumptions, including the…

This account of the development of bilingual schooling in Miami's bicultural community is addressed to others wishing to apply, modify or improve any one of the many types of bilingual schooling. The Dade County bilingual education experience is discussed under the following headings: (1) "Language Education in the American Context," (2)…

Forty-four Hawaiian native English-speaking ninth graders were asked to assign bipolar ratings for qualities of friendliness to the recitation of a text recorded by the same person in English, French, and Ilokano. The matched guise technique of Lambert was used. Results indicate that the subjects held a negative sterotyped view of Ilokano…

The Canadian government opted for a politics of bilingualism according to the "personal solution" whereby the Canadian citizen, whether English or French, can demand the protection of his language regardless of the section of the country in which he lives. In a "territorial solution," an individual can claim official status for…

A detailed analysis of an Italian-American woman's speech is presented, and her interlanguage patterns are discussed in relation to a pidginization hypothesis. Data are presented on the following speech characteristics of the woman: free speech negatives, interrogatives, and present and past tense constructions. Her language is shown to be…

This book reviews the position Arabic has traditionally occupied in Arab-Muslim society, and its role in the task of building a nation state. The work is aimed to aid students of Arabic and Arabic lore and add to a greater understanding of the historical factors which made Arabic a revered language in Arabic-Muslim cultural and religious…

The five papers collected in this booklet present an overall view of language development from the early 1950's to the present. Joshua A. Fishman discusses language and the problems of social and national development and indicates how sociolinguistic research may illuminate these problems. Albert H. Marckwardt considers the teaching of English as…

A norm-referenced evaluation system, which evaluates the student in comparison to his peers, is rejected in favor of a criterion-referenced system. The latter, which rates the performance of a student on an absolute standard, makes for an individualized approach. Two kinds of tests are distinguished, the formative, administered during the course…

This paper considers some aspects of the role of language in the maintenance of social and cultural identity by examining the identity potential of Indian English in the United States. A main point is that identity concepts cannot be taken at face value, but must be considered in terms of their sociocultural consequences. In the case of Indian…

This report contains 23 papers dealing with various aspects of bilingualism: E. Haugen, "Linguistics and Dialinguistics"; R.J. DiPietro, "The Discovery of Universals in Multilingualism"; J. Macnamara, "Bilingualism and Thought"; J. A. Fishman, "The Politics of Bilingual Education"; V. John, "Cognitive Development in the Bilingual Child"; D. Hymes,…

This paper deals with the phenomenon of code switching among bilinguals. Whereas previous studies of code switching have, however, concentrated on instances in which code alternation can be correlated with a change in social occasion, this paper uses examples from the speech of Mexican-American and Afro-American bilinguals to focus on those…

This report discusses the development of bilingual/bicultural education models. Included is information concerning the goals of bilingual education, six models of program realization, and problems and possibilities in implementing the models. Also included are footnotes and a bibliography. The appendixes present various articles: "A Brief…

This paper provides a sociolinguistic discussion of the language situation in Israel, based on relevant linguistic and Hebraic literature and on the author's two year visit to the area. The author discusses the background and use of the many different languages spoken in the country; the function of each language is described. Characteristics of…

This paper focuses on the two main schools of thought concerning the structure of Black English and its relationship to other dialects. One approach is that of the social dialectologists who claim that Black English shares features and origins of white non-standard Southern speech; the frequency with which specific features occur in actual speech…