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The Politics of English in Puerto Rico’s Public Schools

Jorge R. Schmidt
The Politics of English in Puerto Rico’s Public Schools
ISBN: 978-1-935049-94-4
$65.00
2014/175 pages/LC: 2013050188
A FirstForumPress Book
"Illuminating…. Schmidt's research on the highly politicized nature of negotiating the roles of English and Spanish in Puerto Rico's public schools offers valuable insights to those interested in language policy dynamics in other settings."—Amílcar Barreto, Northeastern University

DESCRIPTION

How have colonial and partisan politics in Puerto Rico affected the language used in public schools? What can we learn from the conflict over the place of English in Puerto Rican society? How has the role of English evolved over time? Addressing these questions, Jorge Schmidt incisively explores the complex relationships among politics, language, and education in Puerto Rico from 1898, when Spain ceded the island to the United States, to the present.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jorge R. Schmidt is associate professor of political science at the University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez.

CONTENTS

  • The Politics of Education and Language.
  • The Educational Language Gap.
  • Who’s in Charge?
  • The English Question.
  • Uses of English in Puerto Rico.
  • Language Stakeholders.
  • The Implications of Language Diversity.