An official language of the Philippines, Filipino is based on Tagalog, with elements of Spanish, English, and Chinese mixed in. The result is a rich, expressive language spoken in the Philippines and throughout the far-reaching Filipino diaspora.
    Filipino Tapestry offers an innovative approach to learning language by emphasizing the critical intersection of language and culture. It provides activities and exercises that immerse beginning and intermediate students of Filipino in a variety of authentic situations to simulate an in-country experience. Starting with chapters on such topics as family, friends, and home, it then expands the student’s world in chapters prompting conversation about food, shopping, parties, and pastimes. Its later chapters push learners to discuss city and country life, cultural traditions, religion, history, and politics.
    Features include:
•    background chapters on phonology, sentence construction, and common expressions
•    photos and cultural notes about chapter themes
•    grammar, reading, listening, and speaking exercises
•    glossaries of words and additional expressions

Unlike other multi-ethnic nations, such as Myanmar and India, where official language policy has sparked bloody clashes, Thailand has maintained relative stability despite its eighty languages. In this study of the relations among politics, geography, and language, William A. Smalley shows how Thailand has maintained national unity through an elaborate social and linguistic hierarchy.

Smalley contends that because the people of Thailand perceive their social hierarchy as the normal order, Standard Thai, spoken by members of the higher levels of society, prevails as the uncontested national language. By examining the hierarchy of Thailand's diverse languages and dialects in light of Thai history, education, culture, and religion, Smalley shows how Thailand has been able to keep its many ethnic groups at peace.

Linguistic Diversity and National Unity explores the intricate relationship between language and power and the ways in which social and linguistic rank can be used to perpetuate order.