This paper provides a sociolinguistic description of English language use in Malta at present in terms of who speaks what language, where and when. Some observations on English language contact with Maltese are made. Finally a brief discussion is taken up as to whether and to what extent it would be appropriate to consider Maltese English as a new…

This article discusses the linguistic and sociolinguistic relationship between French and Haitian Creole, dealing specifically with: 1) linguistic similarities or differences between the two, 2) overlapping between the two languages as seen in social and stylistic variation in Creole, and 3) attitudes of Haitians towards the two languages. (Text…

THE ONLY GROUP IN SOUTH AFRICA TO HAVE DEVELOPED A NATIONALISM BASED, AT LEAST PARTLY, ON ETHNICITY AND LANGUAGE ARE THE AFRIKANERS. DUE TO AFRIKANER FEELINGS OF NATIONALISM, ATTEMPTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO SEGREGATE AFRICANS AND NON-AFRICANS OF DIFFERENT LANGUAGE GROUPS FROM THE AFRIKANERS AND FROM EACH OTHER. MOTHER-TONGUE INSTRUCTION IS STRESSED AT…

This report is divided into three main sections. The first section consists of a short general survey of the state of teacher education in Asia today, with suggestions for improvement. The problem of change-over from an imposed colonial language to the native language is recognized as important. The next section contains a list of conference…

This work is intended to provide, in a brief and concise form, for students and other nonspecialists, information on the external history of the principal Slavic languages, i.e., the historical circumstances which affected their utilization in various communicative functions (e.g., as vernacular, official language, literary language, etc.).…

This paper describes the potential of linguistic rights concepts, particularly those within the Act on Linguistic Policy, focusing on the normalization of Catalan in Spain. It suggests ways in which the law can be useful in increasing the use of Catalan. After an introduction, the paper presents the legal framework within which the linguistic…

The National Language Policy is a response to efforts to make English the "official" language of the United States. In 1981, Senator S.I. Hayakawa sponsored a constitutional amendment to make English the official language of the United States, and ever since then, variations on his proposal have been before Congress. This position paper…

Discusses the history and current situation of language learning and use in the schools and the society of bilingual Belgium. (TO)

Describes a study which attempts to link micro and macro approaches in the study of societal multilingualism while introducing a diachronic perspective. The sociolinguistic profile of Senegal is used as a point of departure followed by an outline of sociohistorical factors which contributed to language use. Discusses the social implications of…

Analyzes the issues at stake in the debate over official language legislation in the United States, focusing on the agenda of U.S. ENGLISH, an organization promoting the legislation of English as the official language of the United States. The article argues that restricting language rights can lead to social segregation and that people speak…

Looks at revitalization efforts regarding Xironga, a Bantu language spoken by 600,000 people in the Southern region of Mozambique. Examines circumstances in which Xironga has recently begun to be used more prominently, especially as a legal working language by the Maputo Municipal Council Assembly authorities. (Author/VWL)

English has become important in the Pacific island nations for four reasons: the status of English as the official or unofficial national language of many Pacific island nations; the number of indigenous language varieties; the need for a lingua franca; and the need for a language for wider communication with the outside world for diplomatic and…