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142
indexicality and what Silverstein ( 2003 ) might identify as multiple layers of
indexicality. Cook’s idea that self-presentational stance is the direct indexical
meaning of masu , with all other indexical meanings as secondary, is somewhat
simplistic. At the same time, Cook’s analysis of how masu versus plain forms are
used as contextualization cues for changes in speech genre or activity type is
just as, or even more, convincing in explaining how and why speakers switch
between these forms during informal as well as formal conversational activities.
Although I agree with Cook’s discussion of the pedagogical problems associ-
ated with the way in which most textbooks and curricula highlight the soto - uchi
(outside-inside) explanation for choosing between masu versus plain forms and
with her plea to create alternative materials, I would also like to have seen a
more pointed discussion of the infl uence of Japanese language ideology on this
maintenance of this misleading approach.
The problems with the indexical portions of Cook’s analysis notwithstanding,
her discussion of the importance of JFL learners’ participation in real-life, naturally
occurring social interactions is convincing and of great import for all interested
in second language pedagogy. Much of her indexical approach to analyzing the
use of masu versus plain forms in Japanese is a step forward, and I anticipate
continuing discussions on the language socialization of Japanese in general and
further use of indexical theory for enhancing our overall understanding of SLA.
REFERENCES
Ochs , E . ( 1990 ). Indexicality and socialization . In J. W. Stigler , R. A. Shweder , & G. Herdt
(Eds.), Cultural psychology: Essays on comparative human development (pp. 287 – 308 ).
New York : Cambridge University Press .
Silverstein , M . ( 2003 ). Indexical order and the dialectics of sociolinguistic life . Language
and Communication , 23 , 193 – 229 .
( Received 23 February 2009 )
Laurie Schick
Oklahoma State University
doi:10.1017/S0272263109990295
TEACHING THROUGH BASQUE: ACHIEVEMENTS AND
CHALLENGES . Jasone Cenoz (Ed.) . Clevedon, UK : Multilingual Matters ,
2008 . Pp. 101 .
The multilingual sociolinguistic landscape of Spain makes it an ideal space for
the implementation and testing of educational systems whose goal is the acqui-
sition of three languages (two offi cial languages in the Basque Country, Catalonia,
Galicia, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands, in addition to English in most of these
areas). This volume provides an extensive discussion of the educational system
in the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC).
The chapter by Zalbide and Cenoz is an overview of bilingual education in the
BAC since the 1960s. It introduces the three models of Basque education—all in
Spanish, bilingual, and all in Basque—and documents their evolution. The fi nal
Book Reviews
143
section on current and past challenges (e.g., use of the language and teachers’
profi ciency in Basque) and potential changes is particularly interesting because
it relates past and current issues in bilingual education in the BAC.
In the next chapter, Oroz and Sotés show how politics and language policy
are intertwined in Navarre and its bilingual education system (with three linguis-
tic zones and three different legal statuses for Basque and Spanish). Oroz
and Sotés report on several studies that indicate that Basque is alive in schools
in Navarre, but speakers are not free to use it in society because of the establish-
ment of the three zones. The authors also remark on differences in attitudes
toward Basque: Even though more and more people request the all-Basque
model and support the use of Basque everywhere, some people have concerns
about the use of Basque in public and would prefer to see it confi ned to
schools.
One of the major issues in bilingual education has been the linguistic compe-
tence achieved by learners. The following two chapters deal with this issue. Sierra
provides evidence of the success of bilingual education, because linguistic com-
petence results in the BAC are higher than in other (monolingual) areas of Spain.
Santiago, Lukas, Joaristi, Lizasoain, and Moyano also study academic achievement,
from the perspective of the acquisition of Spanish. These authors give results
on a longitudinal study on academic achievement in Spanish that shows that
specifi c variables have an effect on the level of Spanish attained (e.g., students in
the all-Basque model obtain lower results in Spanish than the rest of the students).
The chapter by Martínez de Luna and Suberbiola deals with language use in
the school context and how to measure it. This study investigates which indicators
can account for the use of Basque on the playground by focusing on three levels:
the individual level (competence and motivation), the microlevel (situations and
social networks), and the macrolevel (social domains and social representation).
The results of the study show that the microlevel makes the greatest contribution
to explaining language use on the playground.
The Spanish educational system in the last decade has had to accommodate
a large number of immigrant children, and the Basque system has been no
exception. The chapter by Etxeberria and Elosegi provides statistical data on
immigrant children in Basque schools and shows that they tend to concentrate
in public schools and in schools that follow the all-Spanish model. The authors
argue that immigrant children go through a process of selection that tends to
separate them from autochthonous children and that immigrant children who
enter school late do not have the same linguistic competence in Basque as
those who enter at 2–3 years of age.
The fi nal chapter by Elorza and Muñoa begins with a brief history of the ikastolas
(network of autonomous Basque schools) in the BAC and focuses on their pluri-
lingual language project (language curriculum in Basque, English, and Spanish
or French). Elorza and Muñoa report on the design of the project and the way in
which it takes into account language use and teaching within and outside
schools to promote not just knowledge of Basque but actual use.
All of the chapters in this volume excel at providing the reader with up-to-
date research in bilingual education in the BAC and Navarre; thus, this volume
will be of interest to readers who have previous knowledge of the Basque edu-
cational system as well as those interested in a general introduction to the main
issues. The only weakness that affects most of the chapters that report on specifi c
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144
studies is that not enough information is included about how the research was
conducted. Given that some of the original studies are not easily accessible
(because they are written in Basque or published by local governmental depart-
ments), it would have been useful to have longer chapters that included infor-
mation not only on results but also on the research methods that were employed
for the studies. Finally, some repetition on the schooling models and the demo-
linguistic data could have been avoided. In sum, the volume is a welcome addition
to the growing number of works about bilingual education and is a witness to
the rich tradition of research in the BAC.
( Received 2 March 2009 )
Llorenç Comajoan Colomé
University of Vic
doi:10.1017/S0272263109990301
THIRD OR ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE ACQUISITION . Gessica
De Angelis . Clevedon, UK : Multilingual Matters , 2007 . Pp. vii +152.
The interest in the acquisition of third and additional languages that has devel-
oped in the last few years can be seen in an increasing number of publications
that try to identify processes that are different when the acquisition of a second
language and other languages are compared (see, e.g., Cenoz, 2009 ; Jessner,
2006 ; Safont, 2005 ; or articles published in the International Journal of Multilin-
gualism ). This volume is an example of such an interest and reviews research on
the acquisition of third and additional languages. This volume is relatively short
and contains six chapters and a conclusion. The fi rst chapter, “The Multilingual
Learner and Speaker,” is an introduction to the area of third (or additional)
language acquisition as different from SLA and includes a discussion of the ter-
minology. Chapters 2 and 3, “Factors Affecting Non-Native Language Infl uence”
and “What Can Be Transferred from One or More Non-Native Language to Another,”
focus on crosslinguistic infl uence by analyzing both the factors that affect the
infl uence of previously acquired languages and the different elements that are
transferred to the target language. The fact that learners can transfer elements
from a second language and not only from the fi rst when acquiring additional
languages is crucial to the distinction between SLA and the acquisition of addi-
tional languages. The next two chapters, “Multilingual Speech Production” and
“The Multilingual Lexicon,” focus on the psycholinguistic processes involved in
language processing and the characteristics of the multilingual lexicon. Chapter 6,
“Prior Language Knowledge, Cognitive Development and the Language Acquisition
Process,” summarizes research on the possible advantages that bilinguals and
multilinguals can have over monolinguals when learning languages. The role of
metalinguistic awareness is associated with these advantages.
The main conclusion of the volume is that there are enough differences be-
tween SLA and the acquisition of additional languages to consider multilinguals
as learners and speakers in their own right. De Angelis also considers that even
limited exposure to a second language can infl uence the acquisition of addi-
tional languages. The volume is clearly written and is an up-to-date account of