The crystal structure of the new mineral voggite, Na2Zr(PO4)(CO3)(OH).2H2O , from the Francon quarry, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, has been solved in order to determine the correct chemical formula, as conventional electron microprobe methods were found unreliable. The unit cell is monoclinic, I2/m, with a = 12.261(2), b = 6.561(1), c = 11.757(2)Å, β = 116.19(2)°. The structure consists of layers of edge-sharing Zr-O pentagonal bipyramids, separated by layers of Na-(O,H2O) octahedra. The carbonate ion acts as a bidentate ligand in the Zr-O polyhedron, the third oxygen atom being bonded to the Na atom. The phosphate group is bonded to three different Zr atoms and to a Na atom. The Zr-O bond lengths vary from 2.067 to 2.283 (mean 2.140Å), while Na-O are between 2.304 and 2.773, (σ = 0.006Å, mean 2.480Å). The carbonate and phosphate bonds are normal. It is inferred from the structure that the columns of octahedrally coordinated Na atoms can easily be broken apart when subjected to the heat generated by the electron microprobe beam, with the subsequent expulsion of water. This gives rise to ‘mobile’ Na atoms, which make quantitative electron microprobe analysis extremely difficult. The structure allows the ‘liberated’ Na atoms to move freely within planes parallel to .

This article’s main objective is to propose a synthesis of the large amount of data measuring the use of French and English in the Montreal region, and to analyse the main determinants of linguistic behaviour in Montreal’s private and public space. A brief discussion of the policy implications to be derived from the results of this analysis is also presented.

Montreal became famous in socio-psychological and sociohnguistic circles half a century ago, when a group of researchers—Lambert, Hodgson, Gardner, and Fil-lenbaum — invented a new methodology to measure speech evaluations indirectly. They came up with an innovative technique, called matched guise, which allows researchers to access subjects’ reactions without asking for their opinions directly or doing extensive field work. In 2004, another matched guise study of the evaluational reactions of Montrealers added new aspects to the original methodological design in order to test some of its limits. The fundamental methodological difference was to include members of different language groups in a representative sample of the population of Montreal so that multivariate analysis could determine the extent to which belonging to a specific linguistic group could actually account for reactions to spoken language. This analysis reveals that some earlier interpretations should be realigned.

The lack of standardized instruments to evaluate communication disorders related to the right hemisphere was verified. A new evaluation tool was developed: Protocole Montréal d'Évaluation de la Communication – Protocole MEC, adapted to Brazilian Portuguese – Bateria Montreal de Avaliação da Comunicação – Bateria MAC (Montreal Evaluation of Communication Battery). The purpose was to present stratified normative data by age and educational level, and to verify the reliability parameters of the MEC Battery. 300 individuals, between the ages of 19 and 75 years, and levels of formal education between 2 and 35 years, participated in this study. They were divided equally into six normative groups, according to three age categories (young adults, intermediary age, and seniors) and two educational levels (low and high). Two procedures were used to check reliability: Cronbach alpha and reliability between evaluators. Results were established at the 10th percentile, and an alert point per task for each normative group. Cronbach's alpha was, in general, between .70 and .90 and the average rate of agreement between evaluators varied from .62 to .94. Standards of age and education were established. The reliability of this instrument was verified. The psychometric legitimization of the MEC Battery will contribute to the diagnostic process for communicative disorders.