"Students' goals go beyond conversation" (Mail Tribune, 03/02/09)

For the English-as-a-Second-Language students in Oregon public schools, it's rare to have the upper hand when it comes to language.

But in Tracy Patterson's advanced Spanish class at North Medford High School, the Latino English Language Learners help teach Spanish to the Anglo students.

The bimonthly conversation group, launched three years ago with a Medford Schools Foundation grant, is intended to give Spanish students practice talking with native speakers and to foster leadership skills in the ELL pupils.

"'Oldest English words' identified" (BBC News, 02/26/09)

Some of the oldest words in English have been identified, scientists say. Reading University researchers claim "I", "we", "two" and "three" are among the most ancient, dating back tens of thousands of years.

"School tries to overcome language barrier" (Daily Press, 02/10/09)

Students share all their knowledge of multiple languages.

"Multilingualism Brings Communities Closer Together" (Science Daily, 02/10/09)

Learning their community language outside the home enhances minority ethnic children's development, according to research led from the University of Birmingham. The research, which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, found that attending language classes at complementary schools has a positive impact on students.

"Immigrants in Little Havana learn the language of community" (Miami Herald, 02/10/09)

What started out as a place for immigrant parents in Little Havana to learn English has become a launching pad to a better life in a new country.

"Foundation aims to help L.A. immigrants" (LATimes, 02/09/09)

The California Community Foundation plans a campaign to help L.A. immigrants become more active citizens by helping them learn English, improve job skills and increase civic participation.

"Immigrant Parents Push to Protect English Classes" (Wash Post, 04/05/09)

As the School Board seeks to close a $250 million budget gap, funding for the adult English classes could be trimmed and the course fee could increase, potentially by a few hundred dollars a class. Dozens of students born in China, Nicaragua, Italy and other corners of the world attended a public hearing last month to urge the School Board to maintain the funding that keeps the classes affordable to new immigrants.

"NUSD adapts to teaching mandate" (Nogales International 02/03/09)

In spring 2008, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) issued a mandate to all school districts: separate your English language learners (ELLs) for four hours a day of intensive instruction until they are fluent in English reading, writing and speaking.

It sounded like a good plan to the state Legislature. But it required schools to create more classes at each level, said officials of the Nogales Unified School District No. 1. Where was the money for more teachers?

"Reading Creates 'Simulations' In Minds" (NPR, All Things Considered, 01/31/09)

A study provides new insights about what's going on in your head when you crack open a good book. Jeff Zacks, associate professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis, talks about the study.

"Programs for limited-English kids get mixed grades" (Houston Chronicle, 01/07/09)

About three in 10 Texas students whose native tongue isn't English are failing to make significant progress in mastering the language, according to a national report released Wednesday.

"Starting early with bilingual education" (Suburban Journals, 01/03/09)

Families in the St. Louis region can now enroll preschoolers in a bilingual school that teaches English and Spanish language skills.

Councils ban use of Latin terms

A number of local councils in Britain have banned their staff from using Latin words, because they say they might confuse people.

Several local authorities have ruled that phrases like "vice versa", "pro rata", and even "via" should not be used, in speech or in writing.

But the ban has prompted anger among some Latin scholars.

Sharing Languages, Students Gain an Edge

An innovative bilingual language-immersion program called Two-Way Spanish, which is in its seventh year, integrates native Spanish-speaking students with native English-speaking students so that each can learn the languages, not only from teachers, but from each other. The Boston Globe, October 23, 2008

Its Native Tongue Facing Extinction, Arapaho Tribe Teaches the Young

As part of an effort to save their language, the Northern Arapaho recently opened a new school where students will be taught in Arapaho. New York Times, October 17, 2008

A Push to Curb the Casual Use of Ugly Phrases

The Ad Council has put together a campaign to discourage bullying of young people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender.  The New York Times, October 7, 2008

Making Every Word Count: Computers and the Web Complicate Vital Research on Frequently Used Language

Word-frequency rankings are part -- albeit just a sliver -- of the vast output from studies of language corpora, or large collections of written and sometimes spoken text. Researchers parse such data to help make sense of our ever-evolving language.

But the results of these rankings differ widely. Taking a snapshot of English in all its diverse incarnations is devilishly tricky and expensive. Computers and the Internet can make research simpler. But they also add to the challenge because they can distort language patterns.