At-Risk Population: Sociolinguistic and Educational Issues

Populations world-over, which are at-risk, have no voices of their own; and they share a similar fate, irrespective of the cast, creed or national boundaries. The effort of this book is to bring such people and their plight into focus with the help of a variety of contributors. The purpose of the edited book, At-Risk Population: Sociolinguistic and Educational Issues is two-fold: first, to build educators’ knowledge of the wide range of issues characterizing the at-risk and disadvantaged population in various parts of the world; second, to bring awareness of the existing social structures amongst different nationals from a socio-constructivist viewpoint. The book is highly interdisciplinary and the contributors are experts from various faculties. They include Professors, Linguists, Educationists, Anesthesiologists, Radiologists, Psychologists, and Sociologists, faculties from Physical Science, Sanskrit, English who have contributed to sociolinguistic and educational issues of atrisk populations. With authors from Asia, Africa, and Europe to North America, the book presents a cross continental perspective on different types of at-risk populations. The articles have been peer reviewed, with the contributors being asked to revise or modify the articles where needed before final acceptance for inclusion in the book. Nearly all contributors to this book have field experience with the populations and issues discussed in their respective articles. Some of the field experience includes visits with Korean Americans, Spanish Gypsies of Granada, Spain, Pottawattamie Red Indian Tribes of Kansas, USA, Chinese and American Students of Chinese heritage growing up in USA, and homeless children of Bhubaneshwar, India, adult learners in post communist Latvia, slightly mentally retarded children of Iran etc. The chapters on the development of technical education on the development of technical education in Nigeria and adult education in Latvia are authored by native experts who bring deeper insight into the specific issues of those regions.