Language Planning Newsletter, February 1980, Vol
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C- The of between Somalis, who are intensely aware of and proud Implementation of their language. The delay in deciding on an official in orthography (the choice lay between the Latin, the Language Planning Arabic, or an invented script) was due rather to intense Somalia: A Record of rivalries and fiercely-held opinions than to Achievement indifference, and the decision to introduce the Latin script was taken in 1972 by a government which felt itself strong enough to override objections. B. W Andrzejewski* Somali, the sole medium of instruction in schools Language situation Now, seven later, Somali is the medium of the countries of Subsaharan Africa Somalia is years Among instruction in all education. The in a favored situation since it has a pre-university particularly virtually somalization has been starting with one process gradual, homogeneous population speaking only language, school, and the academic sees its as mother a moreover, primary present year Somali, its tongue, language, in 1970 members of the Somali in which dialect differences are not so as to completion. Already great Commission, which had been set the and in which a standard Language up by impede unification speech were commissioned to write school form, established in times, is government, already pre-colonial textbooks and teachers' handbooks, In of this using any script rapidly gaining ground everywhere. spite liked, on the that when the script fortune, it was not until 1972 that the Somali they understanding good was chosen all the works would be transliterated Somali should be the official finally government decreed that into it. Since the of the members favored the decided on an for it and set majority language, orthography Latin a of material was ready to be used written Somali into the life of script, corpus about introducing Later on, from 1973, the Curriculum the nation. Before 1972 and unofficial immediately. only private of of Education took over made to write Somali, and even Department Ministry attempts had been for the of textbooks, and it after from colonial rule was in responsibility production independence gained now not only acts as a guardian of the standards of the 1960 the of the colonial that is languages powers, substance and methods of presentation, but through in the north of the and Italian in the English country seminars with teachers and reports from school south, were used in all written communications and at inspectors monitors the classroom impact with the aim all levels of education; Arabic was also known widely of making improvements and adjustments in and used. This confusion of caused tongues many later editions. difficulties and for it could impeded progress, happen In education languages that one civil servant educated in would pre-university foreign English, say, continue to be as and not be able to write a memorandum to another who taught, though separate subjects not as the medium of instruction. and Arabic knew Italian. However, these English only foreign languages are in schools and intensive courses in were used in communications taught special very rarely spoken Italian are run for students about to enter those university departments in which Italian is used as the medium *The author is Reader in Cushitic Languages, School of Oriental and of instruction. African Studies, University of London. (continued on page 4( NOW 2 (1979) [volume NOW AVAILABLE-Directory of Language Planning AVAILABLE-Sprhkvdrd, Press of number not indicated]. Available for Skr 20.00 Organizations by Joan Rubin. University issues from Svenska Sprhknamnden, Hawaii, (2840 Kolowalu Street, Honolulu, Hawaii (four yearly) the Swedish Language Council, Birger Jarlsgatan 9, 96822), 1979, $3.50. 5-111 45 Stockholm. This is the first edition of a directory listing The issue includes Sigurd, "Abbreviations and involved in language planning. Bengt organizations modern [trans.], between the The lists the name and address of the society" "Language directory the individual" and "Better the name of the director and/or authorities and [trans.] organization, in the Nordic Countries" executive secretary, the year of founding, source of language comprehension [trans.] Work in Sweden on the elimination of legalese authorization, funding and major affiliations, goals, and bureaucratese in writings intended for the general internal organization and number of professional and work in especially in forms and questionnaires, is far support staff', publications and periodicals and public, are to advanced, and the second paper gives some striking progress. The main purposes of this directory "before-and-after" of such. "Better language laypersons and scholars alike examples (1) help practitioners, that an discover how rich and varied the world of language comprehension" suggests interdisciplinary of on the mutual intelligibility of Danish, Norwegian planning activities is, (2) to encourage exchange study and Swedish is needed. Preliminary findings, however, experiences between organizations that might otherwise find it difficult to learn about each other's indicate that Norwegians are in the most central understand both their and existence and (3) to provide empirical data for position-they neighbors are understood both to a than others. language planning theorizing. The directory lists over by greater degree for that reason, the article, in an otherwise 100 organizations from over 50 areas. Apparently Swedishjournal, is written in Norwegian. Icelanders and Faroese learn an old-established spelling NOW AVAILABLE-"Language in Education: A pronunciation of Danish, rather than the actual of standard Danish. To be Singapore Perspective" by S. Gopinathan in The English phonology contemporary Language in Singapore ed. by William Crewe, Eastern understood by their neighbors, Danes are urged Universities Press, Singapore. to adopt a degree of spelling pronunciation. (Richard F. Wood) Shows how four major policies are at work in determining language in the school system in NOW AVAILABLE-"Singapore's Language Policies: Singapore: (I) In a multi-ethnic community with 4 Strategies for a Plural Society" by S. Gopinathan in major languages, equal treatment in education is Southeast Asian Affairs 1979, Institute of Southeast essential, (2) English is to be learned for its utilitarian Asian Studies, Singapore, 1979, pages 280-295. value, for employment and for guaranteeing access to the science and technology of the West, (3) The An analysis of some of the variables impinging on rationale offered for mother tongue learning is that language policy in the education system of Singapore. it would give pupils insights into their ethnic and Includes a consideration of the political, language cultural identity and thus enable the maintenance situation, and cultural factors which affect policy. and development of multi-culturalism, and (4) The role Discusses some recent innovations in policy, changes of Malay as the sole national language is accepted as which attempt to make such policy more relevant to being largely symbolic in nature. Hence, the author changed circumstances. Concludes that language shows how Singapore has tried to meet the many policies have contributed in a positive fashion in the demands on policy and to resolve the points of conflict. transformation of Singapore population into one which identifies with the nation. NOW AVAILABLE-Sociolinguistic Problems in NOW AVAILABLE-"Language Strategists: Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Redefining Political Frontiers on the Basis of Linguistic Yugoslavia. Eolia Slavica 1-3 (December, 1978). Of interest to Choices" by Brian Weinstein. World Politics students of are the 1979) XXXI:3:345-364. language planning following (April, articles: This paper attempts to answer the following Damir Kalogjera, "On Serbo-Croatian Prescriptivism" questions: Why do languages become symbols of Milan Fryiiák, "The Two Official Languages groups? What linguistic choices are made by strategists of Czechoslovakia" to realize this potential? How do we know that their Kenneth E. Naylor, "The Eastern Variant of Serbo- motives are and not political solely artistic? What are Croatian as the Lingua Communis of Yugoslavia" their political goals, and whose interests are promoted? (Richard F. Wood) 2 Language Planning Newsletter " Volume 6 " Number 1 i NordenlSprog i NOW AVAILABLE-The Politics of Language. V0'Nord~AVALABLE_Sprelk1979. Yearbook of the Language Commissions Studies on Language Planning and Policy.Journal of in the Nordic Countries and the Nordic Language Communication (Spring, 1979), 29:2:47-133. Can be Secretariat. Oslo: J. W. Cappelcns Forlag, and ordered from; Annenberg School of Communication, Copenhagen; Gyldendal, 1979. 159 pp., paper. P.O. Box 13358, Philadelphia, PA. 19101, U.S.A. for This annual for the $5.00) year's language planning Articles of interest are; Nordic Countries is principally devoted to Nordic William F Mackey "Language Policy and cooperation in language planning and cultivation, and contains a coordinated of articles on "The Language Planning" group Alison "French in Nordic in activities in d'Anglejan Quebec" Argument" language planning I. Bresnahan in the Denmark, Sweden, and the Swedes of Mary "English Philippines" Norway, among Alexander in California; A Finland; there is a related article on standardization Sapiens "Spanish Historical Perspective" and argumentation (reasoning) in Finnish language Alicia Pousada "Bilingual Education in the U.S." cultivation. The Finn Esko Koivusalo presents Rose Lee Hayden "Toward