The development in Mauritius's three major languages is essentially sequential for most of the population: Creole, French, English. In schools, English is used alongside French (and some Creole) in Primary Standards 1 (ages five-six) to 3 (ages seven-eight). English is officially the sole medium of instruction from Primary Standard 4 (ages…

An ethnographic study of two secondary schools in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, is reported that examined the functions of English-Kiswahili code-switching among students. It argues that code-switching is used strategically by both teachers and pupils for meaningful classroom interaction and also reinforces the view that English is more appropriate for…

The English-Zulu codeswitching behavior was studied of three senior teachers and the principal of a KwaZulu boarding school in their interactions with pupils. Switches into Zulu were shown to have important different kinds of academic and social functions in the classroom. Implications for teacher education in South Africa are discussed. (Contains…

This article explores the long-standing problem of ascribing meaning to individual acts of codeswitching. Drawing on ethnographic data from bilingual classrooms in Corsica, I situate the analysis of codeswitching within the more general question of the interpretation of speaker stance, which is defined as speakers' positioning with regard to both…

Examines language practices in secondary classrooms in Malta, showing how teachers and students switch between Maltese and English to construct knowledge, interact with monolingual English texts, and interrelate. The article places these practices against the island's historical and social background to reveal that teachers use English to appear…

Summaries of eight language-related research projects are presented from Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Topics include children's reading, nonstandard spoken Indonesian, English speech act performance, classroom verbal interaction, journal writing, and listening comprehension. (LB)

This study investigated factors facilitating acquisition of Irish in Irish-medium playgroups designed for children who are native English-speakers. Data were gathered in four visits each to two such playgroups, each containing approximately 20 children. Four aspects of conversational exchanges were examined: understanding; code mixing; formulaic…

A collection of papers focuses on research perspectives and educational policy and practice concerning language in Africa. Articles include: "Language Policy in Tanzania and the Hidden Agenda" (Rehema Rajabu, Deo Ngonyani); "The Post-Primary Swahilisation Scheme in Tanzania: From Debate to Struggle" (Hermas Mwansoko);…