Today's fear that English is losing ground to the languages of recent immigrants parallels similar reactions throughout U.S. history. Traces historical moves to establish English as the official language and the development of bilingual education. Concludes that, although legislating of language use is nearly impossible, English as the unofficial…

Investigates aspects of instructional language from three historical perspectives to define elements of teacher language behavior and to develop an instructional language assessment instrument that might be useful in evaluating the language behavior of preservice elementary and music education majors. Compares behaviors of elementary education…

Reviews American educational policy and indigenous language loss, the importance of language revitalization, and various models of language-immersion studies. A case study reports on Papahana Kaiapuni, the Hawaiian language immersion program established in 1987. This program is an example of a native community's efforts to revitalize its language.…

Addresses the language situation in post-independent Mozambique from both a language-planning and language-policy perspective. Presents an up-to-date profile of the country, discusses the issue of linguistic diversity, and examines the language-spread dynamics in education, literacy, and the media. (Author/VWL)

Builds on a consultancy report dealing primarily with the status of the African languages in Namibian schools after Independence in 1990. Contains a description of the Namibian languages, the language policy, and the status of the languages in Namibian schools. (42 citations) (VWC)

Discusses findings of a small-scale survey of primary teachers in Botswana. Particular focus is on respondents' views of whether English or Setswana, or a combination of the two languages, should be used as the medium of instruction. (Author/JL)

Explores the current educational reform in Quebec outlining the major aspects of the curriculum reform. Describes the structure of the curriculum, including programs of study and general principles. Discusses the implications of the proposals. Questions of emphasis include language and mathematics, technology, cultural pluralism, and English…

Analyzes linguistic human rights (LHRs) as an inalienable norm needed for speakers of dominated languages. The article reviews work in promoting LHRs in international forums and assesses the extent to which these rights are protected in existing covenants. Respect for LHRs, in particular the right to education via one's mother tongue, is seen as a…

Discusses both Japan and Hong Kong's desire to enhance the English standard of their secondary school students by implementing a native-speaking English teachers scheme, named JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching) in Japan and NET (Native-speaking English Teachers) in Hong Kong. (Author/VWL)

Net gains in the number of Welsh speakers as a result of education in South East Wales are examined to see if there is any basis for connecting them with disadvantage to education in English-medium schools. (Author/JL)

Investigated the mechanisms through which native-language (English) word decoding ability predicted individual differences in native- and second-language (Spanish) learning. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that second-language learning is founded on native-language phonological-orthographic ability among college-age adults, especially…

An ethnographic study investigated the reticence of Chinese students in an English-medium undergraduate business course in Hong Kong. Used surveys, interviews, and observation and analysis to determine reasons for students' reticence. A complex mix of affective, sociocultural, and educational factors were found to play a significant role in…

Describes a study that used primarily in-depth interviews to investigate attitudes of 20 lecturers toward English medium of instruction policy at a Hong Kong university at moment of former colony's transition to Chinese sovereignty. Results document overall attitudes of lecturers toward policy, their reasons for supporting it, their problems in…

Describes the new teaching methods at Fort Peck, which include the combination of language-immersion and Montessori methods of teaching. The Montessori method, grounded in spiritual traditions, integrates all subjects and includes cultural immersion and parental involvement. (YKH)

Discusses issues surrounding the phenomena of local or "Nativized" varieties of English, developments that take place characteristically in ex-colonial territories where forms of ex-colonial language evolved and developed in own right independently of metropolitan sources. Discusses acceptability of different varieties, code switching, and the…