Table of Contents

Introduction 1. Language and Identity 2. The Melting-Pot Mythology 3. Common Misconceptions about Language Learning 4. Languages in the Schools 5. The Modem Official-English Movement 6. Challenges to Language Restrictionism 7. Lessons in Multilingualism Beyond the United States 8. The Possibilities of a Pluralistic, Multilingual America Epilogue/References/Index

About the Author

Susan J. Dicker was born in New York City of multilingual immigrant parents and, growing up, regularly heard Italian, Yiddish and Spanish at home. She holds Masters of Arts degrees in Spanish and TESOL and an Ed.D. in Applied Linguistics. She is Associate Professor of English at Hostos Community College, The City University of New York, in the ethnically diverse borough of the Bronx. Her articles on language pluralism appear in The Bilingual Review/La Revista Bilingue, The Educational Forum, The Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, The Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, and Education and Society.

Reviews

"This book makes a timely and necessary contribution to the debate about the status and use of minority languages in coutnries where English is the dominant language. Her book is essentially a worthy and articulate rebuke to those who would insist that English should be the only permissible language in the public life of the USA." Adrian, Blackledge, Educational Review Vol 49 No 3. "Dicker's text provides a generally commendable introduction to a broad range of issues and it has few peers among works aimed at a non-specialist readership." Terrence G. Wiley, Language in Society 27:4