LINGUIST List 5.1167

Sun 23 Oct 1994

Qs: Lg learning, Ph.D. programs, Bangladesh, Code-switching

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1. Deborah Milam Berkley, language learning
2. distance hugging specialist, Ph.D. programs in applied linguistics
3. , Question - etymology of 'Bangladesh'
4. Celso Alvarez Caccamo, Query: Code-switching

I am posting this query on behalf of a nonlinguist friend who tutors
elementary age children. Many of her students, who are native
speakers of American English, have learning disabilities, including
dyslexia. Her students attend school in a district that offers French
to elementary students, and some of the parents of her students want
their children to take part. She is worried that, since her students
are already having trouble with English language skills (reading,
writing, etc.), they will be confused or set back if they study French
as well.

Can anyone tell me whether or not she is right? She wants to have
support for her position if she is right, or, if she is wrong, she
would like to have the reassurance that studying French will be
beneficial, or at least not harmful, to her students' progress.

Please respond directly to me at the following address:
 d-m-berkleynwu.edu

Thank you very much.

Deborah Milam Berkley
Northwestern University

A friend of mine is thinking of entering a doctoral program in
applied linguistics. I have suggested a few universities based onmy
rather limited knowledge (Georgetown, UCLA, UNM), but would appreciate
hearing from recent or current grad students or faculty from these
and other institutions. I would be happy to summarize for the net.

Please reply to me directly so as not to clutter the list.

Susan Fischer | Internet: sdfncrrit.edu
National Technical Institute for the Deaf | Phone: (716) 475-6558
Rochester Institute of Technology | Fax: (716) 475-6500
52 Lomb Memorial Drive | Basic food groups: popcorn,
Rochester, NY 14623-0887 | tofu, bok choy, & chocolate

Can anyone help me to discover the etymology of the name 'Bangladesh'?
I have seen it given in several places as deriving from 'cannabis-land-
people' (from 'bhang'=cannabis, 'la'=land...). These sources are generally
trustworthy, but when I quoted them in an article I wrote, I had several
Bengali people upset at me for making this claim, which they say is
totally incorrect. They claim it derives from 'Bengal(i)', although they
could not offer any further etymology of the word 'Bengal'. Standard
etymologies tell me that the name of the country derives from Bengal', but
give no insight into where 'Bengal' comes from.
I am quite prepared to believe the native Bengali speakers, but for the fact
that knowledge of a language does not impart knowledge of its etymology,
a point which I did not raise with the people making the complaint for
reasons of sensitivity.
Any takers?
 Rob

I'd like to locate the first reference to code-switching
(not the phenomenon, but the term) in the literature.
To my knowledge, the closests is Weinreich's reference
to bilinguals' ability for "switching codes" (1953, _Languages
in contact_, The Hague: Mouton, p. 73).

Please e-mail to me. I'll summarize if there's enough
interest.

Thanks,
Celso Alvarez-Caccamo
Linguistica Geral e Teoria da Literatura
Universidade da Corunha - Galiza (Spain)
lxalvarzudc.es