Spolsky, Bernard (1932-)

The unifying theme in Bernard Spolsky's globetrotting life is a profound concern for the language rights of indigenous populations that began when, as a young high school teacher in New Zealand, he became interested in the bilingualism of his Maori students. His energy and commitment are well known to his colleagues. Wherever he has been, he has initiated centers, organizations, or journals to affect knowledge and decisions related to language. His work has greatly influenced language education through his insights into language testing and the many factors affecting second- and foreign-language acquisition. More recently, he has focused on national language policies around the world. This entry traces his career.

Spolsky was born in New Zealand, where he earned a BA and MA in English from Victoria University in Wellington, and then set off to teach in England, Australia, and Israel. He pursued a PhD in linguistics at the University of Montreal and remained in Canada to teach at McGill University. Subsequently, he accepted the position of assistant professor of linguistics at Indiana University, where he also directed its English as a Foreign Language program and served as associate chair of the Research Center for Language Sciences. In 1968, Spolsky moved to the University of New Mexico as professor of linguistics, anthropology, and education, where he served as director of the innovative Navajo Reading Study, and dean of the graduate school.

In 1980, Spolsky returned to Israel as professor of English at Bar-Han University. He has remained in Israel ever since, but has continued to influence research, education, and public policy throughout the world. After having served as chair of Bar-Han's English Department, he served as dean of the university's [Page 797]faculty of humanities. As of 2007, Spolsky is an emeritus professor of English and founding director of the Language Policy Research Center. His retirement does not preclude his continuing to serve as senior associate at the National Foreign Language Center (Washington, D.C.) and editor-in-chief of two influential journals, Language Policy and the Journal of Asia TEFL.

Spolsky has conducted and published research in language testing, second-language learning, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, language policy, and computers in the humanities. He has written or edited 24 books and published 200 articles and chapters. His books reflect the breadth of his expertise including, among others, Language Policy (2004), The Languages of Israel (with Elana Shohamy, 1999), Concise Encyclopedia of Educational Linguistics (1999), Sociolinguistics (1998), Measured Words: The Development of Objective Language Testing (1995), Language and Education in Multilingual Settings (1986), The Languages of Jerusalem (with Robert L. Cooper, 1991), Educational Linguistics: An Introduction (1978, 1981), Case Studies in Bilingual Education (with Robert L. Cooper, 1978), and Frontiers of Bilingual Education (with Robert L. Cooper, 1977). His book Conditions for Second Language Learning: Introduction to a General Theory (1989) was awarded the 1989 Kenneth W. Mildenberger Prize by the Modern Language Association of America and the 1990 Book Prize by the British Association for Applied Linguistics.

Spolsky's service to professional organizations is remarkable: He has served as president of the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages Association, secretary-treasurer of the American Association of Applied Linguistics, president of the Israeli Association of Applied Linguistics, chair of the board of trustees of the Center for Applied Linguistics, and president of the International Language Testing Association. He has held numerous fellowships and visiting positions, including Guggenheim and Mellon fellowships. He has also served as senior research fellow at the National Foreign Language Center in Washington, and as visiting research fellow at the University of Auckland's International Research Institute for indigenous and Maori Education.

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