{"id":320,"date":"2010-03-17T10:00:31","date_gmt":"2010-03-17T08:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/elanguage.net\/blogs\/booknotices\/?p=320"},"modified":"2010-02-11T10:31:16","modified_gmt":"2010-02-11T08:31:16","slug":"multilingualism-and-minority-languages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/?p=320","title":{"rendered":"Multilingualism and minority languages"},"content":{"rendered":"
Multilingualism and minority languages:<\/strong> <\/strong><\/em>Achievements and challenges in education. <\/em>Ed. by Jasone Cenoz <\/strong>and Durk Gorter<\/strong>. (<\/strong>AILA review 21.) Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2009. Pp. 110. ISBN 9027239932<\/a>. $135 (Hb).<\/div>\n

Reviewed by Iris Potter<\/strong><\/a>, University of Georgia<\/em><\/p>\n

Although research has been done on minority languages and their uses in education, this research can generally be compartmentalized into studies of elite bilingual education and studies of folk bilingual education. In an effort to broaden the implications of such research on the field of applied linguistics, Jasone Cenoz and Durk Gorter compiled this volume, which is comprised of five case studies. The research reported here examines unique minority folk-bilingual education situations in which the speakers do not suffer from the typical economic disadvantages found in most minority language situations, ensuring that the primary motivation for language learning is to enhance one\u2019s identity. These studies of programs of minority language revitalization in Europe illustrate the importance of language policy and planning in bilingual education.<\/p>\n

In the introductory chapter, \u2018Applied linguistics and the use of minority languages in education\u2019 (5\u201312), the editors state that the relevancy of this collection of case studies to the field of applied linguistics is not limited to bilingual education but can be extended to such areas as language and identity, second (and additional) language acquisition, first language literacy, and to the general study of bi- and multilingualism.<\/p>\n

In the first of two articles from Spain, Ch. 2 \u2018Achievements and challenges in bilingual and multilingual education in the Basque Country\u2019 (13\u201330), Jasone <\/strong>Cenoz examines multiple models of instruction using both Spanish and Basque. She discusses some of the potential advantages of employing more comprehensive methods in multilingual instruction and research.<\/p>\n

In Ch. 3, \u2018Language-in-education policies in the Catalan language area\u2019 (31\u201348), F. Xavier Vila i Moreno<\/strong> compares the current models for teaching Catalan and discusses the challenges faced by the educational systems. He summarizes existing research and discusses the impact of these policies on various relevant elements, such as language use and competence, but also on academic results that are not linguistic in nature.<\/p>\n

In the first of two articles from Ireland and the United Kingdom, Ch. 4 \u2018The declining role of primary schools in the revitalisation of Irish\u2019 (49\u201368), John Harris<\/strong> discusses the causes of the long-term decline in Irish proficiency in students of mainstream schools. He suggests that teachers and schools develop a plan that would extend the use of Irish beyond language courses to other areas in the schools as well as to the home and community.<\/p>\n

In Ch. 5, \u2018Current challenges in bilingual education in Wales\u2019 (69\u201386), W. Gwyn Lewis<\/strong> examines the role of Welsh in the bilingual education system. He then summarizes the current methodologies and the emerging issues and pedagogies.<\/p>\n

From the Netherlands, Durk Gorter and Cor van der Meer<\/strong>, \u2018Developments in bilingual Frisian-Dutch education in Friesland\u2019 (Ch. 6; 87\u2013103), discuss the weak position of Frisian in society and in the educational system and examine the link between the two. This relationship seems to be reflective of the attitudes toward both Frisian and the educational system, based in part on less than stellar achievements of experimental trilingual schools that incorporate English.<\/p>\n

Overall, these five case studies present an encouraging picture of bilingual education aimed at minority language maintenance. The positive results are especially encouraging in Spain and refreshing to hear from all of the other countries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Multilingualism and minority languages: Achievements and challenges in education. Ed. by Jasone Cenoz and Durk Gorter. (AILA review 21.) Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2009. Pp. 110. ISBN 9027239932. $135 (Hb). Reviewed by Iris Potter, University of Georgia Although research has been done on minority languages and their uses in education, this research can generally be compartmentalized […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=320"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":321,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/320\/revisions\/321"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=320"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=320"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journals.linguisticsociety.org\/booknotices\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=320"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}