Discourse Patterns in First Language Use at Hcme and Second Language Learning at School: an Ethnographic Approach

Literature I 28

relativeness Is an accepted notion with regard to the content of
communications but not as far as their processes are concerned.

The beginning of all colonial situations did generate a number of
myths. So does their end. (Clignet,1984:92 and 93).

2.1.3 Linguistic minorities

Parallels between the black colonized masses and the working class in
industrialized countries are a common feature of political and
sociological studies based on Marxian theory. Revolutionary movements in
underdeveloped countries in the early '70s were able to direct their
struggles not against the colonists, but against colonialism (considered
the expression of the interests of the dominant classes in the
metropolis, and as such likely to be continued by local Elites restricted
to a nationalist outlook). Certain combinations of structure of the labour
force and its ethnic segmentation lead to forms of Internal colonialism,
in many countries often very different on other parameters. It is in this
context that some similarities may be noted between the formerly
colonized 'majorities' of underdeveloped countries and linguistic
'minorities' in industrialized countries.

One is somehow forced to contrast the two groups because the policy,
psychology and pedagogy of bilingualism have been studied for a longer
time and with larger resources to tackle the problems of groups labelled
as 'linguistic minorities', even if these are numerically less massive. A
major problem for the researcher is to select those studies and lines of
research that can be relevant in such different contexts as rural areas
in underdeveloped countries.

One could perhaps find some similarities also in the sequence of stages
the linguistic and ethnic minorities went through in their struggle for

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