Studies language contact and language shift among different generations of Japanese immigrants in Brazil. The social factors involved in the abandonment of the ethnic (Japanese) code is considered. Results indicate that, typically, ethnic identity switch is accompanied by mother tongue replacement with Portuguese by the third generation.…

Paper is a sequel to the project reported in article "Through the Glass Darkly? The National Policy on Languages As Seen by Tertiary Language Staff" (Rado and Foster 1990). This article looks at further developments in selected tertiary Languages Other Than English (LOTE) contexts up to July 1994. These developments have been highlighted…

Although Kashmiri is the first language of 3-4 million people, it has many features of a minority language. This article reports research suggesting that teachers in Kashmir have a poor opinion of the language, question whether it is really a language, and wonder whether it is worth teaching. (Contains 28 references.) (JL)

A formal reading of word groups and a same/different listening test revealed that Hungarian Americans in South Bend, Indiana, exhibit a continuum in a short front unrounded low vowel phoneme, showing important differences between the informant's perception and production. The Hungarian-American and metropolitan Hungarian data were compared to…

Phonological models of feature geometry suggest that the internal structure of segments is highly articulated. Distinctive features are organized hierarchically within the segment, and this hierarchical organization is relatively stable across and within languages. In this study, the distinctive feature (lateral) is the focus of investigation. (84…

Investigated the sociolinguistic variable of apical palatalization in Cairene Arabic, focusing on the roles of gender and social class in the distribution of palatalization. As in a number of other speech communities, women in Cairo seem to have been the innovators of this sound change. (27 references) (MDM)

This paper shows how scanning can be practiced in a class reading Southeast Asian texts, focusing on methods used to teach scanning techniques to advanced learners of Thai-as-a-Foreign-Language. Instructors can present students with questions or items to search for in a lengthy text, such as the Thai epic poem "Ramakian." (MDM)

This paper deals with the clause structure of Old English. It is argued that the clause structure of Old English contains a head-initial functional projection whose head can be the landing site of verb movement in subordinate clauses. (41 references) (JL)

Describes origins of Fiji Indians and their unique language, Fiji Hindi, and discusses this language as a marker of identity in modern dialects brought to Fiji by Indian indentured laborers. The mixed dialect, Fiji Hindi, developed from these original forms of speech, is highlighted, and the role of Hindi and English in the development of Fiji…

A test of a hypothesis about the availability of Universal Grammar principles to adult language learners involved testing predictions about acquisition patterns in Hebrew speakers learning English as a Second Language. Results supported the view that second-language acquisition is a process of parameter reassignment of principles that are indeed…

First results of a survey of English use in 202 Italo-Australian subjects in 46 situations show a widespread shift to English, beginning with younger (first generation) subjects and increasing dramatically among members of the second generation. Italo-Australians' English usage depends more on personal characteristics of speakers than on topic or…

A model of testing is described in which tests become sources of meaningful information about the improvement of foreign language learning. The model has been implemented by 10 schools teaching Hebrew as a foreign language in the United States and Canada. The model's background and rationale are described, along with its components, processes,…

Surveys language awareness in Netherlands, outlining history of language awareness in Holland, tracing back to late nineteenth-century reform movement. Second section deals with teaching Dutch as a native language, third gives account of what language awareness means in context of Dutch as a second language, and fourth describes language awareness…

Describes the development of curricular materials for a Portuguese heritage language program in Ontario, Canada, involving the active participation of the students themselves, with the added benefit of increased motivation and the acquisition of computer skills. (Author/CB)

Reports on the application of the concept of social network to the process of language usage among Yoruba-speaking city dwellers in Ile-Ife, Southwestern Nigeria. The study focuses on phonetic/phonological variation within common spoken Yoruba. (41 references) (GLR)