Despite extensive discussion on critical thinking (CT) by Chinese students, there are still debates over the question of why Chinese higher education students, when studying abroad, lack (or rather do not demonstrate) CT skills. The main objective of this paper is to explore how far it can be established from the published research literature…

Introduces this special issue of the journal on context and culture in language teaching and learning, as well as each of the articles, most of which were contributions to a conference. The origins of this topic lie partly within theory and practice of language teaching and partly in response to the recognition of the social and political…

Discusses some of the conceptual problems underlying distinctions between native and nonnative speaker, between foreign and second language learners, and the related difficulty of eliciting valid and reliable data about language background. Problems are illustrated with reference to a scheme developed in Australia involving the classification of…

Traces the history of the British language-awareness (LA) movement from its grassroots origins, through its confrontation with the establishment, to its eventual academization. Provides an extended definition of LA, compares LA with the complementary and parallel enterprise of consciousness raising, and cites new developments in the fields of…

Discusses mandatory use of mother tongue education in Hong Kong after 1997 and raises the question of whether the change in language policy was driven by an educational agenda or whether there were underlying agendas. The history of the medium of instruction in Hong Kong is reviewed, and the experience of three decolonized Asian countries,…

Provides an overview of indigenous-education programs in the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii. Discussion focuses on the historical context that has seen consistent attempts to eradicate the languages and life ways of Native Americans. Case studies are presented that illustrate the role of indigenous-language-education programs in…

Discusses the Hawaiian-language-revitalization effort, which is the most developed of any indigenous-language revitalization in the United States. During the last 15 years, Hawaiian-language revitalization has centered around establishing indigenous-medium/immersion education and implementing the official status of the language of Hawaii.…

Explores the example of the indigenous Innu community in Labrador, Canada, in relation to past and present patterns of exploitation of land and stigmatization of language and culture by European colonizers. Examines how the Innu community has invested time and effort to wrest control of their lives from non-Innu. Describes how this process has…

Provides a survey of the Sami languages in present-day Norway. A brief overview highlights the historical and current position of Sami, discusses two often-overlooked examples of Sami language and culture, Lule Sami and Southern Sami, and explores the current position of these latter two examples and the various language and education initiatives…

Examines the national language question in Morocco and the Moroccan government's development of an elaborate multisector language policy, which has particular significance for the education system. The policy aims at promoting Arabic as the language of literacy and wider communication. The background and implications of this policy are discussed.…

Reviews the literature on second language medium of instruction and educational achievement in Kenya using classroom data from English, Kiswahili, and mother tongue mathematics lessons and from lessons where code switching occurred. Argues that regardless of the instructional medium, a transmissional model of teaching and learning predominates.…

Discusses problems of learning English by students from Papua New Guinea, suggesting teachers restructure accepted assumptions about teaching and learning in English to more appropriately meet needs of students from different cultures. Argues many of these language problems are associated with lack of equivalence between concepts of academic…

Low German is in danger of being given up by native speakers. The projects reported in this article were carried out in Western Westfalia and Emsland, German regions generally known as conservative with respect to language maintenance and language change. (Author/JL)

Discusses problems associated with the implementation of mother tongue education in Zambia. Focus is on the sociolinguistic situation, language policy after independence, sociolinguistic implications, language use in different domains, language use and ethnic identity in Zambia, Kenya, and Tanzania, prospects for mother tongue education; bilingual…

Examines the teaching of English in Tanzania under four headings: (1) the changing view of language and language syllabus design; (2) the role of sociolinguistic environments in second language learning; (3) the role of objectives in second language teaching; and (4) the emerging trend of documenting second language teachers' classroom practices.…