The French language provides a context for comparison of the modernization efforts of Quebec and Madagascar, looking at the following issues: the beginning role of the language in the society, political influences, language needs for technology transfer and the introduction of terminology in societies with well-documented and poorly-documented…

Provides a hands-on approach to materials production. Guides both the novice and the sophisticate on how to use QuickTime Pro to produce Multimedia. Highlights the new literacy requirements that are emerging that call for the teacher's ability to read instruction on software and be able to figure out how to use it. (Author/VWL)

Investigates the implications of language in education policy in post apartheid South Africa, for both schools and universities, examining recommendations of the Language Task Action Group (LANGTAG), which was delegated to establish South Africa's language-related needs and policies across different societal domains. The paper supports a proposed…

This paper reexamines the debate over the emergence of Black South African English (BSAE) as a variety of English that is institutionalized with distinct properties. It focuses on the tense logic in Bantu languages and discourse markers that chiefly account for uniquely BSAE features. Through an indepth analysis of these linguistic properties, the…

Cameroon, a central African state is one of the few countries in the world where, in addition to a very rich linguistically diverse landscape (a little below 300 identified indigenous languages) there is English and French (all vestiges of colonial legacy) used as official languages. Coupled with this, there is pidgin English which plays the role…

This article discusses, from an African perspective, the two dimensions associable with the question of the globalisation of communication: the promotion of the learning of some international languages (the quantitative dimension) and the teaching and learning of communication skills (the qualitative dimension). It suggests that the time is ripe…

This article analyses issues pertaining to language policy in Zimbabwean education beginning with the establishment of formal education under colonial rule. English is the official language of business, government and education, and the dominant language in the media. Official policy, before and after independence, has been characterised by…

This contribution investigates the frequency patterns of the modal verbs as they occur in the one-million-word corpus of Cameroon written English. An analysis of dominant senses of some of the modals is also attempted. I have used results and statistical figures from British and American English (as reported in studies such as Biber et al. 1999…

This study investigated the comparative influence of ethnicity and religious affiliation on the alienation of Nigerian university staff from their work environment. The influence of certain moderator variables such as the location of the university, gender, age, educational qualification, staff category, official rank and staff communicative…

The use of local languages in formal education is a widely debated educational strategy in sub-Saharan Africa. National-level policies abound which permit mother-tongue instruction in primary grades, and yet successful implementation of those policies is not merely so common. The reasons for this are varied, but one powerful reason has to do with…

An integrated analysis of the syntax and semantics of serial verb constructions (SVCs) in a group of West African languages is presented. With data from Dagaare and closest relatives, a structural definition for SVCs is developed (two or more lexical verbs that share grammatical categories within a clause), establishing SVCs as complex predicates.…

The report describes a federally funded study of the application of language proficiency concepts, developed for commonly taught languages, to less commonly taught languages. It summarizes the project's background and origins and the activities of the project, including four separate studies on the feasibility of proficiency-based instruction and…

The aim of this text is to introduce Liberian English, which includes the many varieties of English spoken by Liberians, to Peace Corps volunteers. The text is divided into two sections. The first part talks about Liberian English, while the second part uses Liberian English to describe aspects of contemporary Liberian culture. Part one contains…

This handbook is composed of: (1) 20 grammar lessons; (2) an introduction to the handbook and to the Ewe language; (3) an appendix presenting the most important differences between Ewe and Mina, the lingua franca in the capital and in markets, offices, and work-sites throughout Togo; (4) answers to written summary exercises; (5) an Ewe-English…

THE INHABITANTS OF THE OIL RIVERS OR RIVERS SECTION OF SOUTHERN NIGERIA ARE DIVIDED BY HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY, AND LANGUAGE INTO TWO GROUPS--THE COASTAL PEOPLES AND THE HINTERLAND PEOPLES. COASTAL DIALECTS BELONG TO THE IJO GROUP OF LANGUAGES WHILE THE HINTERLAND DIALECTS ARE OF ANOTHER LANGUAGE FAMILY. DURING THE 19TH CENTURY THE HINTERLAND PEOPLES…