<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Good example of choosing concepts depending on context. Minority/majority ( from now m/m ) languages are concepts for dealing with bilingualism, not DIGLOSSIA. It will cause further confusion to discuss Maghrebi as minority language -- that's a matter of High and Low form of Arabic.</div><div><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>French linguists use a group-conflict perspective in interpreting Ferguson, much to his bewilderment ( see EARLY DAYS OF SOCIOLINGUISTICS --Paulston and Tucker) which is waste of a good concept because critical theory could handle that.<br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>Christina</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><br><div><div>On Apr 11, 2011, at 8:18 AM, Fouzi Bellalem wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><div>Hi everybody. I believe the issue of minority/majority languages is complex as it is hard to reach a general consensus, i.e., each group (i.e., linguists, politicians, sociologists...etc) make a distinction with reference to their own beliefs and experiences, but also according to their own interests (acedemic, political, material...etc). </div> <div> </div> <div>I can think of Vernacular Arabic in the Maghreb (North Africa) where although it is a majority language with reference to its users, it is however labelled as minority because it is not officially recognised by the governments. Please see the link below for a paper that discusses this issue (it's in French though). I hope this helps.</div> <div> </div> <div>Fouzi</div> <div> </div> <div><a href="http://www.u-picardie.fr/LESCLaP/IMG/pdf/elimam_maghribi-2.pdf">http://www.u-picardie.fr/LESCLaP/IMG/pdf/elimam_maghribi-2.pdf</a><br><br>--- On <b>Sat, 9/4/11, Zaidi <i><<a href="mailto:manoo@brunet.bn">manoo@brunet.bn</a>></i></b> wrote:<br></div> <blockquote style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(16,16,255) 2px solid"><br>From: Zaidi <<a href="mailto:manoo@brunet.bn">manoo@brunet.bn</a>><br>Subject: [lg policy] A request<br>To: "'Language Policy List'" <<a href="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a>><br>Date: Saturday, 9 April, 2011, 16:53<br><br> <div class="plainMail"><br><br>Friends<br>In what context(s) can a majority language be considered a minority<br>language? Are there some examples?<br>Many thanks and Regards.<br>Abbas Zaidi<br><br>_______________________________________________<br>This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list<br><a href="http://uk.mc295.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu" ymailto="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a><br>To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list</a><br></div></blockquote></td></tr></tbody></table>_______________________________________________<br>This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list<br><a href="mailto:lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu">lgpolicy-list@groups.sas.upenn.edu</a><br>To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br></blockquote></div><br></body></html>