Volume 2006, Issue 182

This article advances a theory of language declining linguistic diversity drawing on the notion of constitutive abstraction developed by the writers Geo Sharp (1985) and the notion of levels of social integration developed by Paul James (1996). It argues that declining linguistic diversity can be understood in terms of the dominance of constitutively more abstract forms of social integration, which increasingly bypass and reframe those forms, such as face-to-face social integration, that are less abstract in form. Where languages are unable, or prevented from working across different levels of social integration, through technologies of abstract extension like print, they will be vulnerable to decline. This claim is elaborated through an examination of four threats to linguistic diversity (colonialism, the rise of the nation-state, processes of globalization and environmental destruction) which, it is contended, can be seen to be underpinned by more abstract forms of social integration.

This article explores the relationship between native language and use of the Internet. I study this issue empirically using a unique data set on Internet use at the individual level in Quebec. The results suggest that most Quebecois are using the web intensively in English. Furthermore, the difference between native French and native English speakers in the use of the Internet in English is relatively small for the younger generation. To the extent that the younger generation drives the dynamics of the Internet, the results provide support for the hypothesis that English will retain its first mover advantage of a large installed base of English language websites.

This article deals with the strategies of linguistic coordination of four enterprise models located in Catalonia (Spain), unequally affected by the mobility of factors of production. We analyze the linguistic regimes of each one of these models paying special attention to the linguistic criteria of selection and promotion of personnel. Based on the data obtained, we identify two typologies of companies, each one with a different degree of emphasis on communicative efficiency and on strategies of control through practices of linguistic discrimination.

This article examines the case of Kali'na, a minority indigenous language of French Guiana, from the point of view of descriptive categories available in the literature (namely dominated language, minoritized language, endangered language). These terms are discussed, favoring more dynamic categories which focus on processes (minoritization/deminoritization). The article uses both micro- and macrosociolinguistic levels of analysis. At the macro level, indicators are proposed to gauge the minorization of Kali'na as it occurs on the scale of Guiana as a whole, by observing attitudes towards Kali'na language and culture, particularly as expressed in the media and in epilinguistic comments made by speakers. At the local level, we explore the effects of the recognition by the State of a Kali'na township and their influence on language minoritization in the village and more generally at the level of the linguistic community. We also attempt to determine to what extent, as far as interactions are concerned, alternations and code switching between Kali'na and French might constitute indicators of the process of minoritization or deminoritization or of language death currently underway.

The link between language and ethnicity is contestable (Giles et al. 1977; Feuerverger 1986; David 1996; Naji and David 2003). While some ethnic communities consider their language to be the most crucial element of their ethnic identity (Feuerverger 1986), some other communities are more focused on non-linguistic symbols of their ethnicity (David 2003; Naji and David 2003). This study compares two Japanese-Canadian communities in Vancouver and Toronto in terms of ethnolinguistic vitality. Its purpose is to demonstrate how locality affects the degree of Japanese ethnolinguistic vitality, based on the conceptual framework of cultural sociology of space (Flyvbjerg and Richardson 1998; Richardson and Jensen 2003). Spaces … may be constructed in different ways by different people, through power struggles and conflicts of interest. This idea that spaces are socially constructed, and that many spaces may co-exist within the same physical space is an important one. It suggests the need to analyse how discourses and strategies of inclusion and exclusion are connected with particular spaces. (Flyvbjerg and Richardson 1998: 9–10) To fully grasp the nature of particular spaces, one must look into their unique histories. As Bender (2002: 103) argues, “there is a historicity and spatiality to people's engagement with the world around them.” As Bender contends, spaces and places are always in the process of being shaped and reshaped. Being of the moment and in process, spaces are temporal. They are connected with time. Time, however, is not either one thing or another. It is both one and another. “Different times nest within each other and draw meaning from each other” (Bender 2002: 104). The two Canadian cities are examined for their Japanese ethnolinguistic vitality from a temporal and spatial perspective.

This study investigates the situation of the Arabic language amongst Malaysian citizens who were born in Saudi Arabia, acquired the Arabic language, speak it as their mother tongue, and adopt the Arabic culture. These people are known locally as Makkawiyiin ( Meccans ). Data were collected from 73 selected Makkawiyiin via questionnaire, interviews, and personal observations. The results show that these people have a high level of Arabic proficiency. They do not experience language loss nor face many problems in preserving the Arabic culture, and are keen to use Arabic in communicating with others. However, because Malay is the medium of instruction, language shift is observable. The subjects are trying to pass the Arabic language on to their children. Implications from these findings are discussed.

The article discusses language planning in two Southern African countries, Botswana and Malawi. Both countries are multilingual and multicultural. They also share a common British colonial history. At independence, the two countries retained English as the official language. In Botswana, Setswana was made the national language while in Malawi, it was Chichewa. Over the years, these languages have been developed and promoted at the expense of other indigenous languages, a situation that has prompted linguistic minorities to engage in the language-based politics of recognition. The article discusses how Botswana and Malawi are responding to the call for the official recognition of more indigenous languages in domains such as government, education, and mass media. Relevant comparisons and contrasts between Botswana and Malawi are drawn in this regard in the article. One clear common denominator is the dominance of English in official domains in the two countries.

Andrew Dalby: Language in Danger . London: Penguin Books, 2003. xii + 329 pp.

From a legal and institutional point of view, the current situation of the various languages in Spain has a dual basis: the recognition of the country's multilingual and multicultural character in the Spanish Constitution, and the country's organization into autonomous communities. Such a constitutional framework has made it possible for bilingual education to develop remarkably during the last twenty years in Spain. The fact that the autonomous communities have languages of their own and have exclusive authority over education has generated an important number of bilingual educational programs. Therefore, it may be said that, unlike other territories, both Catalonia and the Basque Country organize their education on the basis of bilingual-education criteria. In the light of these facts, we analyze the legal basis and the social context in which minority languages are dealt with in the curriculum. Special emphasis is placed on the Catalan and Basque cases. The steps undertaken are assessed and some challenges for the future are put forward.