Second language acquisition

[Katie Alcock]

Does anyone have any information on studies where the minority language is
the language of instruction for all of compulsory schooling (e.g. to 16 or
18), which I am informed is the current situation in the Basque country,
where all public schooling is apparently in Basque, although most families
speak exclusively Spanish or speak both languages.

Likewise does anyone have any information on literacy at secondary and
higher education levels in the non-instructed language, where all primary
and secondary education is in the minority language?  Is there any effect on
performance at these higher levels if the transition to the majority
language is made in the teens, and if there hasn't been very much formal
literacy instruction in the majority language?

It strikes me that most of the current programmes involve only a few years
of primary education; however I know adults whose schooling has mainly been
in a language other than the language of the community (for example, where
instruction has been in Kiswahili and English while all day-to-day
communication takes place in another African language), who have trouble
with literacy materials in their home language, despite the fact that they
are more fluent in speaking it.

I realise that this is a slightly different situation, as there are rarely
many literacy  materials actually available in the home language, and
broadcast media are often in the language(s) of instruction, but families
rarely have a TV and everyone speaks all of the time outside school in the
home language, including adolescent children, and adults would never use the
language(s) of instruction in their day-to-day communication.  So I'm
wondering if there is any data on the parallel situation in a more literate
society.


Katie Alcock


Katie Alcock, DPhil
Lecturer
Department of Psychology
University of Lancaster
Fylde College
Lancaster LA1 4YF
Tel 01524 593833
Fax 01524 593744
Web http://www.psych.lancs.ac.uk/people/KatieAlcock.html