DIGLOSSIA

Pedro R. Portes (PRPORT01 who-is-at ULKYVM.LOUISVILLE.EDU)
Fri, 27 Sep 1996 11:49:48 -0700 (PDT)

Professor in Educational Psychology_UNIV. OF LOUISVILLE, 40292
Phone: 588-0630__FAX 502-0726 310 SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Genieve;
Pardon the delay in responding, life keeps getting in the way. With respect
to your first question, I must confess that I am far from having any expertise
on this topic. In fact, it was your note that served as a means for me to learn
about this concept. I looked it up in Webster's and drew meaning arbitrarily.
I took the meaning to be related to when a person or groups are silenced
or more precisely, kept from developing linguistic competence where otherwise
that competence might have easily emerged.
This is my own ideosyncratic definition and is probably out to lunch. However.
I found the concept fascinating enough to play with it. For example, the case
of the father who kept his son monolingual and even in recent efforts to deny
education to some children because of their parents' status. The latter
would tie their tongue, in effect keeping them monolingual in the non-
dominant tongue so that their modes of incorporation can be influenced in
a particular way....
Thanks for clarifying the issue.

With respect to the last point in your note
I'm not sure what to make of it, please elaborate

Cordially, Pedro

REGARDS