Discusses the history of the decline of the use of Irish in Ireland since the 12th century and how present government policies and citizen attitudes have affected this decline. Government actions include establishing a Gaelic Board, setting nominal Irish qualifications for civil servants, and teaching Irish in the primary schools. (SED)

Presents an investigation of 100 immigrants students in Copenhagen to ascertain their relations to the ethnic boundary between "Danish-ness" and "non-Danishness" and their patterns of communication in conversation with an adult native speaker of Danish. Implications for the education of immigrant students and for curricula are…

Presents a demographic approach to the study of linguistic minorities, focusing on major analytical issues, particular data needs, and research possibilities. The approach's potential in the study of second-language acquisition, language maintenance, and shift pertaining to linguistic minorities is illustrated. (40 references) (Author/CB)

Examines three Nordic bilingual programs: (1) immersion, where majority children with a high status mother tongue learn a second language; (2) submersion, where minority children with a low status mother tongue are forced to learn the majority language; and (3) language shelter, where minority children learn the majority language as a second…

Examines the effect in the primary and secondary school levels of teaching through the medium of Welsh and the response of the University of Wales. The media and the educational system are two formal social organizations which help the threatened Welsh language to survive. Another would be the establishment of a Welsh-medium university. (SED)