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Language Planning Newsletter, November 1981, Vol. 7, No

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Language Planning Newsletter, November 1981, Vol. 7, No language" except courses in foreign languages. A Kumision I Fino' Chamorro Chamorro Bicultural Bilingual Program in (Guam) elementary schools, however, aims at revitalizing the Chamorro language and 'old ways,' but is as yet in an Martin Combs and Bjdrn H. Jernudd* experimental stage only. Also, Guam has been the beneficiary of the U.S. Bilingual Education Act of 1968 The Micronesian islands are currently being through which support is given for teacher training reorganized into self-governing and semi-independent and materials development. There is, however, some states. One of these islands is Guam which for the time opposition from other ethnic groups to the use of being remains a self-governing territory of the United Chamorro in school. states. It is the southernmost island in the Mariana Very much like in other Micronesian indigenous Islands group, with a total population in 1980 of communities, there is dissatisfaction among the approximately 105,800 people: 48% are Chamorro, 20% Chamorro elders with language standards and degree of are of Philippine descent and 24% are Caucasian. Most usage of the indigenous language by younger of the latter are transient military personnel and their generations. The Chairman of the Governor's dependents. Also, there are Chinese, Korean, Japanese Commission on the Chamorro Language of the and other-Micronesian residents. Guam's northern Government of Guam - Kumision i Fino' Chamorro neighbor, the Commonwealth of the Northern - writes that "Chamorro is in poor condition with Mariana Islands, is predominantly Chamorro. There young people (18 years and less) usually possessing are also Chamorro communities in California and only receptive level skills (listening) in Chamorro." Hawaii. (Robert A. Underwood, personal communication in a Since 1898, Guam has been administered by the letter of June 3, 1981). He says that this Commission United States except during a Japanese military "represents the first attempt on Guam at consciousness interregnum. The latter occupied Guam for 31 months of the Chamorro language." during World War II and administered schools for both The Commission on the Charnorro Language was youth and adults in which Guamanians had to learn first established in 1964. Current enabling legislation Japanese. Some people know how to speak Japanese was prepared under the direction of the Tenth Guam - and Japanese is acquiring new speakers because Legislature. Says the Government Code, chapter XIII tourists from Japan dominate among civilian visitors. concerning the Commission: " English, however, is the all dominant language in 11950. Creation of commission. There is hereby public life. There is almost complete individual established the "Commission on the Chamorro bilingualism in English and, when acquired, an Language," to consist of nine (9) members, all citizens indigenous or ethnic language, and English is of the United States and residents of the Territory of increasingly the preferred medium in both written Guam, who must be conversant in the Chamorro and spoken communications (Riley 1977). language and who shall be appointed by the Governor medium of instruction in public schools is with the advice and consent of the Legislature for a English. According to the Government Code of the term of three (3) years. Three (3) of whom shall serve PTerritory of Guam, Chapter III, section 11200, "All for one (1) year, three (3) for two (2) years and three (3) courses of study shall be taught in the English for three (3) years, provided however that the five (5) Mernbers of the Culture Learning Institute, The East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii. (Continued on page 2) members heretofore shall serve appointed the full term after its own language commission has had an of their present appointments. The Governor shall 4 appoint one among the nine (9) members its chairman opportunity to look into the matter. Such a language of the Commission. [Amended by P.L. 8-128, effective commission is in the process ofbeing formed. March 17, 1966; Itis clear erroneously referred to as §11975 by from the record of these public hearings P.L. 8-128.] that discussion embraces issues of orthography, such as vocabularylanguage developmentbeyond andthose 11951. the of § Duties of commission. It shall be the duty treatment loan words, and personal naming. of the Commission to study the antecendents, describe For further information on the Governor's the grammar and prescribe good usages for the Commission on the Chamorro Language, write to Chamorro Robert A. Underwood, P. language, and to prepare a modern and up- 0. Box 3096, Agana, to-date Chamorro-English dictionary. Guam 96910 (USA). 11952. Facilities § of Department of Education and References University of Guam. The Commission is hereby authorized to use, and the Department of Education Government Code of the Territory of Guam 1970. (with and the University of Guam are hereby directed to supplements). Prepared under the direction of the Tenth Guam make available, the facilities of said department and Legislature by John A. Bohn, Esq., said college in carrying out the duties of the 1475 North Broadway, Walnut Creek, California. Islands Yearbook. 1981. commission, and shall also furnish such personal and Pacific Fourteenth edition. Pacific Publications, logistic assistance as the commission shall need to carry Sydney. out its functions. ["College" changed to "University" Testimony Summary. Orthography Public Hearing by editor.] March 24, 1981. Mimeographed, pp. 5. Chamorro Language Commission. §11953. Report to the Legislature: appropriations. Riley, George A. 1977. Attitudes towards Language The Commission shall annually report to the Maintenance and Language Shift in the Legislature the results of its work in preserving the Guamanian Speech Community. In Pacific Asian Chamorro language and in the event appropriations Studies 11:1/2:112-126. are needed to carry out its tasks, the Commission is Smith, Aleene Bast 1970. Schools of Guam during hereby authorized to request the same of the Japanese occupation. MA. Thesis. University of Legislature which is authorized to make such Guam. appropriations as are called for to carry out the Topping, Donald M. 1981. The Decline of Pacific purposes of this Chapter. [Added by P.L. 7-162, Languages. In The New Pacific, July/August, pp. effective August 14, 1964; original Chapter XIII as 21-24. added by P.L. 7-147, effective August 11, 1964, renumbered to Chapter XIV by P.L. 8-1, effective February 11, 1965.]" The Commission's most recent hearings concern I':diior--- Joan Robin Chamorro orthography, "a very emotional topic" Associate Editor ---Bjdrn H. Jcrnndd that has caused not a little (Underwood, lb.) Edit (0 jal Board controversy. The Commission was instructed by 11w Mi-I. Abdulazo. Governor and the 14th Guam Legislature to hold Joshua Fislnoan Molde public hearings to resolve the orthography issue. Broil Prloo';oi lvlnsa As concerns orthography, there are "three systems: jiS Ncnsiopn9 (1) that most associated with the Church as written and popularized by Pale' Roman de Vera, (2) the Copies ate availabte free oi charge. Changes of addiess and requests 0 on fin should be arldresscd to: Marianas Orthography adopted in 1971 and currenily he placed the inading YsSiliasri Ecite in use by the Chamorro language educators on Guam Leogoage Planning Newsletter and the Northern Marianas, the (3) proposed EasriS'est Culture Learning institute orthography adopted by the Chamorro Language East-West Censer Commission in 1978." (Public Hearing, March 24, L'[onoioln, Hawaii 96848 USA 1981). All otbet rostespondence slioold he addressed to the editor: It was also instructed to coordinate the attempl of I Dr. Joan Robin of a standard with the public acceptance writing system P. 0. ilOX 1143 Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Pinote, LA 94564 However, the latter prefers to respond to this issue only USA 2 Language Planning Newsletter Language Planning/Treatment News FORMATION OF INDIAN ASSOCIATION OF and it is possible that the staff will be enlarged in the APPLIED LINGUISTICS (IAAL) near future. An All-India association called the Indian Corpus planning work has only been done on a Association of Applied Linguistics (IAAL) has been very small scale in Friesland. There have been two ad formed with its headquarters in New Dellu. Professor hoc commissions and some individuals who worked on yR. jagannathan of the Central Institute of Hindi, the problem. One result is the word list called "Lytse Delhi is its founder President and U.S. Bahri, Editor of Oanrikkemendaasj e" (Small recommendation) on the Indian Journal of Applied Linguistics, is the administrative terminology. The language bureau as it General Secretary. The overall aim of the IAAL is to is informally referred to will begin by focusing on the promote the application of linguistic theories for the terminology of legal and administrative affairs. It is felt solution of language problems in a multilingual that Frisian, as a minority language, has most need of society like India. An endeavor will be made to identify an adequate vocabulary in those fields before it is all possible areas where these applications are helpful possible to use more Frisian in public administration. in solutions to the of in finding problems language The bureau is one of the results of an Interim Report The Secretariat of the IAAL has a society. very on Language Policy by the provincial administration ambitious for academic activities such as world- plan in 1978. One of the basic
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