Illiteracy problems are worldwide, and growing. Taking "The Use of Vernacular Languages in Education", as their starting point, in this volume the authors assess the nature and significance of the events that have taken place since then, providing a global overview.

This book contains first-hand information on the history, economics, and politics surrounding literacy issues all over the world. Discussions are supported by case-studies of campaigns to promote vernacular languages, and examples of how people relate to their languages in different cultures. Providing a non-Western perspective, the contributors question traditional notions of the uses of literacy.

A number of key issues of great complexity is raised by the papers in this book. No attentive reader could emerge from these pages able to utter glib programmatic definitions or characterisations of literacy development needs and difficulties. A multi-authored and very wide-ranging book. A valuable publication for its reports from the field. - Geoff Hall - Journal of Sociolinguistics 3/3 1999