Teaching Languages

[Jouko Lindstedt]

On Wed, 15 Nov 1995, Thomas R. Jr. Beyer wrote:

> This is indeed a language and literatures list, but perhaps too many of
> my colleagues, just as I, passed by the question without a reply because
> of teh complexity of the issue. When those who know best remain silent,
> what emerges are well intentioned, but less informed voices.  The
> original question was a serious one, and Mr. Vaughn's reply was an
> equally serious attempt at an answer.

Peharps my reaction was too strong. But the issue _has_ been discussed
extensively on SEELangs during this autumn. I was exasperated to see that
it was all beginning again, and this time on the level of folk
linguistics.

I think most of us agree that the differences between the Croatian and
Serbian (and Bosnian) standards are not bigger than those between American
and British English -- for the time being. But there are conscious efforts
to make them diverge more extensively, and that's an important difference
in comparison with the situation in English.

Jouko Lindstedt
Department of Slavonic Languages, University of Helsinki
e-mail: Jouko.Lindstedt at Helsinki.Fi or jslindst at cc.helsinki.fi
http://www.helsinki.fi/~jslindst/