State threatens to close schools violating official language law

[Dennis Baron]

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"State threatens to close schools violating official language law . . .
When a state passes an official language law, some people shrug and  
say, “Hey, no big deal, it’s just a symbol, like declaring the state  
bird or flower.”   For some states, having an official language is  
little more than a patriotic gesture. It’s a law that’s observed  
about as much as the state speed limit. But sometimes people actually  
want their laws enforced.  Supporters of one state’s official  
language statute are threatening to close down any school permitting  
the language of foreigners in its classrooms. . . . The state is  
Karnataka, and the state’s official language is Kannada.  . . . Half  
a world away, in Iowa. . . .  is suing the governor for violating  
that state’s official language law. "



Best,

Dennis



Dennis Baron
Professor of English and Linguistics
Department of English
University of Illinois
608 S. Wright St.
Urbana, IL 61801

office: 217-244-0568
fax: 217-333-4321

www.uiuc.edu/goto/debaron

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