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In response to trends such as internationalization, migration and the knowledge economy, universities globally are under pressure to open their doors to as many students as possible. In South Africa, massification of higher education has two additional dimensions to the above. Firstly, it has to provide a forum for creating a socially inclusive society. Further to this, it has to compensate for the inferior standard of basic education. Together these factors compound the number of diversity variables that require management, particularly as far as language and academic literacy imperatives are concerned. This chapter examines how massification is unfolding at one institution of higher learning in the country and how it fuels systemic problems in a particular teacher training programme. What distinguishes the students in this undergraduate course from those in other programmes is that they constitute the future educators responsible for literacy development in the first years of schooling, precisely where literacy levels are deplorable and of critical concern. The study considers relevant policies, institutional support and curricula, before scrutinizing student performance. Two main findings emerge: Successful massification of higher education is highly dependent on quality basic education in which language instruction and the development of academic literacies are foregrounded at school level. This in turn requires comprehensive teacher training programmes that are attentive to sociolinguistic realities and theoretical underpinnings of language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research concerning the standardization of Galician as a Romance language intermediated between Portuguese and Spanish. It highlights the strict oral language from the late Middle Ages in the 20th century. Information about the description of the intense process of standardization in the 1970s as well as the summary of key issues in the normative debate, is provided. Documentation of standardization includes selection, codification, implementation and elaboration. An overview on the historical background of Galician in the Roman languages, is also mentioned.

The article focuses on the language standards and perceptions of an authoritative target variety in contemporary Manx Gaelic language which is native to the Isle of Man, a quasi-independent island polity in the Irish Sea. Information about the classical descriptive linguistic of the late native speaker Ned Maddrell in December 1974, is provided. It highlights the opportunities of and remarkable level of institutionalisation along with the expansion of adult learning. An overview on the Haugen's fourfold language planning model including processes of selection, codification, elaboration and implementation, is provided.

The article focuses on the association between the standardisation and language maintenance of two Finnic varieties in Sweden, the Meänkieli and Sweden Finnish. Information about the opportunities and challenges of Finnic varieties as well as the issue of language maintenance associated summarization the variety, is given. It highlights the aspects of formal language use, language cultivation, and the teaching targets of instruction in school adopt Standard Finnish norms. An overview on the geographic, demographic and language policy of Meänkieli, is also emphasized.

The article discusses research concerning the processes and challenges of standardization of Mirandese, an indigenous regional minority language spoken by rural communities in Miranda do Douro district and Vimioso district in the Northeastern Portuguese-Spanish border. It highlights the complementary and uncompetitive relationship between the various languages depicting the social domain pairings. Information about the major role of public administration, church, and school officials in choosing Spanish in social interactions with Spanish nationals, is also mentioned.

The articles discusses arguments for and against the compulsory teaching of Swedish in Finnish schools. The author argues the Swedish is the lingua franca of Scandinavia due to its mutual intelligibility among speakers of Finnish, Norwegian, and Danish and examines contentions that due to the ubiquity of English in 21st-century Scandinavian society the education of students in Swedish is no longer necessary. Comments from former Swedish Green Party spokeswoman Maria Wetterstrand on the connection of language with Swedish and Finnish national identities is also examined.

Foreign languages in Hungary The teaching and learning of foreign languages in today's Hungary is an issue rich in controversies. The increase in the number of attempted foreign language exams at the State Foreign Language Examination Board started already in the late 1980s: between 1985 and 1995 the number of applicants in the six most popular languages (English, German, French, Russian, Italian and Spanish) more than quadrupled from 19,691 to 90,712 (Vágó 1997), while, let us be reminded, for approximately the same period Terestyéni's survey (1995) registered a mere 2% increase in the number of self reported FL speakers. In preparation for the Foreign language education in Hungary: Concerns and controversies 65 SOCIOLINGUISTICA 24/2010 Matura exam reform in foreign languages in 2004/2005, a large scale, multi-part baseline investigation commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture was conducted in the late 1990s (Alderson 2000; Einhorn 1998; Fekete/ Major/ Nikolov 1999; Nikolov 1999a, b). Concerns and controversies Nikolov (2007) in an overview of the FL situation in Hungary asserts that recent developments in the foreign language education policies of the country correspond to trends in Europe, and that since 2002 tangible improvements can be felt especially in public education. [Extracted from the article]

Although this might result in more variation in When MT + 2 is not enough: Tensions within foreign language education in Finland 39 SOCIOLINGUISTICA 24/2010 language choices, it would no doubt be seen as downgrading Finland's official bilingualism, hardly a desirable outcome for responsible language education policies. SOCIOLINGUISTICA 24/2010 Tarja Nikula/ Sari Pöyhönen/ Ari Huhta/ Raili Hildén When MT + 2 is not enough: Tensions within foreign language education in Finland 1. Foreign language provision at secondary level 2.1 Developments and background influences For a small country whose national languages are small in comparison to big European languages, foreign language provision has constituted an important part of the educational system for decades. The development is also detected in terminology where language didactics in many universities came to be labelled "language pedagogy" or "language education" to highlight the unique mission of language teaching to foster students' whole identities (Kohonen 2001). [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses modern foreign language instruction in England and Wales, examining the decline in language learning, institutional support for languages, and the effect of the European Union's (EU) policy which encourages students to learn two foreign languages. The authors examine the attitudes of English students towards learning foreign languages due to the prevalence of English speakers abroad and xenophobia, languages which are commonly taught in schools including French, German, and Spanish, and government policies concerning compulsory language programs. Other topics include minority language instruction, bilingual education in Wales, and school rankings in England.

The article discusses foreign language education in Spain. The author examines political aspects of language education policies related to the number of languages, teaching methods, and the age at which language instruction is started, the teaching of languages in territories including Basque, Catalonia, and Galicia, and education in a second foreign language under guidelines from the European Union (EU). The author presents the autonomous regions Andalusia and Catalonia as examples, looking at the development of curricula, bilingual education, and native language education.

The article discusses foreign languages in secondary education in The Netherlands, examining foreign languages which are commonly taught, teaching methodologies, and tests for foreign language competency. The author examines obligatory English instruction as well as courses in French, German, and Arabic, the use of the grammar-translation and direct methods of language instruction, and languages in school leaving examinations. Information is provided on languages spoken in The Netherlands including Dutch, Frisian, and Limburgian, the history of foreign language education in Dutch schools, and the Dutch school system.

The article discusses education in foreign languages in the Swedish secondary school system, examining obligatory English language instruction as well as optional French, German, and Spanish language education. The author examines the number of students who choose to take remedial courses in English or Swedish instead of an additional foreign language, the influence of the Common European Framework (CEFR) on Swedish curricula, and the influence of the Council of Europe on teaching methodology. The number of students who drop out of foreign language instruction, the influence of groups such as the modern language teacher's association, Lärare i Moderna Språk (LMS) and Språkförsvaret, and minority languages are also examined.

The article discusses foreign language education in Hungary, examining policies on language education, Hungarian laws which effect minority education and the effect of the European Union's program which encourages students in all member-states to learn three languages. The author discusses the ethnic composition of Hungary, the Hungarian language, also known as Magyar, and the prevalence of monolingualism and multilingualism in the country. The author examines data from the 1990s which indicates a foreign language deficit in the country and looks at controversies related to the number of teaching hours, the Matura exam, and continuity in language instruction in secondary schools.

The article discusses foreign language education in Finland and examines the implications of the state's two national languages, Finnish and Swedish, on the mother tongue plus two (MT+2) foreign languages policy of the European Union (EU). The author examines concerns that the growth of English language education in Finland, in addition to the study of Swedish or Finnish, has caused fewer students to study European languages such as French, Russian, and German and looks at differences between national language provisions and policies by the EU and the Nordic Council. Other topics include time spent on language learning, the teaching of immigrant students' native languages, and the levels of proficiency gained in secondary education.

The article discusses foreign language provisions in secondary schools in Luxembourg, a member-state of the European Union (EU), and looks at how the Luxembourgish school system reflects EU language policies. The author examines the use of the three languages officially recognized under Luxembourg law, French, German, and Luxembourgish, as well as instruction in the languages most widely spoken by resident foreigners, Portuguese and Italian. Information is provided on competency under the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), English language instruction, and the use of French and German as a medium of instruction.