The key role that language and language policy play in relation to education, culture, and multiculturalism was emphasized throughout the plenary and workshop discussions of the 43rd Session of the International Conference on Education, convened by UNESCO in September, 1992. This paper reports the roundtable discussions of this meeting. The chapter by William F. Mackey examines differences among these three concepts in context, content, and the constraints that their treatment imposes on national and/or educational policy. Ayo Bamgbose describes policy options for language policies in basic education in Africa and argues that the need to associate language policy more closely with educational objectives is key when considering policy options. Mary Clay uses case study examples to show the effects that some language policies have had on language learning. Children's literacy in Latin America is discussed in a chapter by Emilia Ferreiro. Official recognition of plurilingualism in the Asian region and language policy is the focus of the chapter by D. P. Pattanayak. Brian V. Street provides a social anthropological view of literacy and culture, describes new approaches to the study of literacy and policy implications of these approaches, and details ethnographic examples of what people actually do with literacy in their everyday lives. (JP)