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Language and Politics in Post-Soviet Russia
by Nelya KoteykoLanguage and Politics in Post-Soviet Russia critically examines the uses of language in post-Soviet media and political texts between 1998 and 2007. It will be of interest to academics and researchers in the fields of media studies, discourse analysis, corpus linguistics, and scholars in Russian Studies.
Language and Popular Culture in Japan (Routledge Library Editions: Japan)
by Brian MoeranWhen this book was originally published it was the first work of its kind to examine the way in which language is used to express the ‘myth’ of advertising slogans and other popular cultural forms. By making use of general theories from the disciplines of anthropology, linguistics, media studies and semiotics, the book attempts to demystify Japanese culture as it has been hitherto presented in the West, and shows how such cultural forms as ‘noodle westerns’ and high-school baseball uphold the well-known ideologies of ‘selflessness’, ‘diligence’, ‘compliance’ and ‘co-operation’ typically associated with the Japanese. Ultimately, the book poses the question: are those whom we call the Japanese ‘real’ people in their own right, or merely a nation acting out a part written for them by Western civilisation?
Language and Power
by Norman FaircloughLanguage and Power is widely recognised both as a classic and an essential introductory textbook to the field of Critical Discourse Analysis. It focusses on how language functions in maintaining and changing power relations in modern society, the ways of analysing language which can reveal these processes and how people can become more conscious of them, as well as, more able to resist and change them. <P><P>In this twenty-fifth anniversary edition, Norman Fairclough includes a substantial new introduction and brings the discussion up-to-date. He shows both the importance of the book in the development of critical discourse analysis over the past three decades and how language and power relations have changed due to major socio-economic changes. <P><P>It remains vital reading for all students of discourse analysis, critical discourse analysis and other related courses.
Language and Social Justice in Context: Hawaiʻi as a Case Study
by Scott SaftThis book builds on recent research exploring the intersection between language and social justice, using the multilingual context of Hawai'i as a case study. The author offers a discourse-centered approach, providing analyses of actual instances of language use, and argues that the wide range of languages in Hawai'i - Hawaiian, Pidgin, Japanese, Chinese, Tagalog, Ilocano, Marshallese, and Chuukese, as well as the phenomenon of language mixing - all have a significant contribution to make to society. The book also draws on language acquisition research demonstrating positive long-term effects of exposure to multiple languages, and makes the case for educational approaches that foster multilingual abilities among the young members of society. This book will be relevant for academics interested in the intersection of language and social justice and languages in Hawaiʻi, but it should also be of interest to undergraduate and especially graduate students in sociolinguistics, language revitalization and language documentation, discourse analysis, applied linguistics, and pragmatics.
Language and Social Justice: An Introduction to Linguistic Activism
by Helen Sauntson Clare Cunningham Johanna Ennser-Kananen Dai O'BrienLanguage and Social Justice provides readers with the knowledge and analytical skills required to explore why and how social inequalities and injustices are enacted through language, and how they may be challenged.The expert authors introduce readers to theories, concepts, methods and applications which enable them to become ‘activist applied linguists’ in the field of language and social justice. Each chapter contains up-to-date information, case studies, study questions and activities, suggestions for activism, and recommended readings relating to a range of topics within the field of language and social justice research.This innovative and accessible textbook is essential reading for students and scholars engaged in language and social justice research across a range of contexts.
Language and Spirit: Exploring Languages, Religions and Spirituality in Australia Today
by Robyn Moloney Shenouda MansourThis edited book explores stories of linguistic and spiritual identity in the urban and rural Australian landscape. It is an innovative mix of thirty six personal narratives and eleven research studies, which together offer accounts of the intersection of languages, religion and spirituality in people’s lives. Teachers of Indigenous languages speak of the critical connection between language revitalization, the spirituality of Country, and well-being. Both new and long-established diaspora individuals speak of the often complex but vital joint role of language and faith in belonging and heritage. The new dimension which the book brings to multilingualism is relevant to all complex global societies. Language and Spirit is ideal for both the general reader interested in community languages and interfaith issues, and academics in global intercultural studies and Applied Linguistics study wishing to gain a nuanced insight into the Language and Spirit intersection.
Language and Subjectivity (Key Topics in Applied Linguistics)
by Tim McNamaraUnderstanding the role of language within the formation of a sense of self has been revolutionised by developments in social theory, particularly poststructuralism. There is now a new emphasis on the way in which subjects are vulnerable in the face of powerful discourses such as nation, gender, race and sexuality. This book is a clear and engaging introduction to these developments and their relevance to students of language. Using lively and often personal examples throughout, Tim McNamara explores the role of language within processes of subjectivity using the insights of conversation analysis (CA), creating an original conceptual and methodological bridge between the macro- and micro-dimensions of social discourse and everyday conversational interaction.
Language and Sustainable Development (Language Policy #32)
by Humphrey Tonkin Lisa J. McEntee-AtalianisThis book addresses the importance of language in matters of sustainability and incorporating such concerns in implementing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainable language policy must aim to include all groups, including language minorities and marginalized populations, such as refugees and aid recipients, in conditions that allow for their inclusion in making and implementing policy. The book brings together nine studies covering such topics as language and digital resources, sustainable and inclusive multilingual education, national language policy, and language in peacekeeping operations. A final chapter addresses the crucial intersection between sociolinguistics and economics, and the implications of this for development and the SDGs.
Language and linguistic contact in ancient Sicily
by Olga Tribulato"Within the field of ancient bilingualism, Sicily represents a unique terrain for analysis as a result of its incredibly rich linguistic history, in which 'colonial' languages belonging to branches as diverse as Italic (Oscan and Latin), Greek and Semitic (Phoenician) interacted with the languages of the natives (the elusive Sicel, Sicanian and Elymian). The result of this ancient melting-pot was a culture characterised by 'postcolonial' features such as ethnic hybridity, multilingualism and artistic and literary experimentation. While Greek soon emerged as the leading language, dominating official communication and literature, epigraphic sources and indirect evidence show that the minority languages held their ground down to the fifth century BCE, and in some cases beyond. The first two parts of the volume discuss these languages and their interaction with Greek, while the third part focuses on the sociolinguistic revolution brought about by the arrival of the Romans"--
Language as a Social Determinant of Health: Translating and Interpreting the COVID-19 Pandemic (Palgrave Studies in Translating and Interpreting)
by Federico Marco FedericiThis edited volume demonstrates the fundamental role translation and interpreting play in multilingual crises. During the COVID-19 pandemic, limited language proficiency of the main language(s) in which information is disseminated exposed people to additional risks, and the contributors analyse risk communication plans and strategies used throughout the world to communicate measures through translation and interpreting. They show that a political willingness to understand the role of language in public health could lead local and national measures to success, sampling approaches from across four continents. The book will be of interest to students and scholars of healthcare translation and interpreting, sociolinguistics and crisis communication, as well as practitioners of risk and crisis communication and professional translators and interpreters.
Language at the Speed of Sight: How We Read, Why So Many Can't, And What Can Be Done About It
by Mark SeidenbergAccording to a leading cognitive scientist, we've been teaching reading wrong. The latest science reveals how we can do it right. <p><p>In 2011, when an international survey reported that students in Shanghai dramatically outperformed American students in reading, math, and science, President Obama declared it a "Sputnik moment": a wake-up call about the dismal state of American education. Little has changed, however, since then: over half of our children still read at a basic level and few become highly proficient. <p><p> Many American children and adults are not functionally literate, with serious consequences. Poor readers are more likely to drop out of the educational system and as adults are unable to fully participate in the workforce, adequately manage their own health care, or advance their children's education. <p><p>In Language at the Speed of Sight, internationally renowned cognitive scientist Mark Seidenberg reveals the underexplored science of reading, which spans cognitive science, neurobiology, and linguistics. As Seidenberg shows, the disconnect between science and education is a major factor in America's chronic underachievement. <p><p>How we teach reading places many children at risk of failure, discriminates against poorer kids, and discourages even those who could have become more successful readers. Children aren't taught basic print skills because educators cling to the disproved theory that good readers guess the words in texts, a strategy that encourages skimming instead of close reading. <p><p>Interventions for children with reading disabilities are delayed because parents are mistakenly told their kids will catch up if they work harder. Learning to read is more difficult for children who speak a minority dialect in the home, but that is not reflected in classroom practices. By building on science's insights, we can improve how our children read, and take real steps toward solving the inequality that illiteracy breeds. <p><p>Both an expert look at our relationship with the written word and a rousing call to action, Language at the Speed of Sight is essential for parents, educators, policy makers, and all others who want to understand why so many fail to read, and how to change that.
Language death
by David CrystalThe rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all interested in the issues of cultural identity in an increasingly globalized culture. A leading commentator and popular writer on langauge issues, David Crystal asks the fundamental question, "Why is language death so important?", reviews the reason for the current crisis, and investigates what is being done to reduce its impact. By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or so languages in the world are "safe" from the threat of extinction. By some reckonings, the world will, by the end of the twenty-first century, be dominated by a small number of major languages. Language Death provides a stimulating and accessible account of this alarming trend, which, like the large-scale destruction of the environment, is both peculiarly modern and increasingly global. Language Death includes intelligent argument and moving descriptions of the decline and demise of particular languages, as well as practical advise for anyone interested in pursuing the subject further. David Crystal is a leading authority on language, and author of many books, including most recently Language and the Internet, (Cambridge, 2001). He is author or editor of several other books with Cambridge, including the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language (1997), Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (1995), English as a Global Langauge (1997), Language Death (2000); and Words on Words (University of Chicago, 2000). An internationally renowned writer, journal editor, lecturer and braodcaster, he received an Order of the British Empire in 1995 for his services to the English language.
Language in Action: Psychological Models of Conversation (International Series in Social Psychology)
by William TurnbullFace-to-face conversation between two or more people is a universal form, and perhaps the basic form, of social interaction. It is the primary site of social interaction in all cultures and the place where social and cultural meaning takes shape. Face-to-face conversation between children and parents can also be an important context for social and cognitive development. Given the universality, frequency and importance of conversation in social life, a psychological model of conversation is required for an understanding of the central issues in social and developmental psychology. This book provides such a model.Language in Action presents a critical examination of four models of conversation: the Code model based on Chomsky's linguistic views; the Speech Act model of Austin and Searle; the Inferential model of Grice, and the Conversation Analytic model of Sacks and Schegloff. It also considers the Brown and Levinson model of politeness in conversation. Using many examples from natural talk and drawing on the positive aspects of the reviewed models, Turnbull proposes a new Social Pragmatic model of conversation as social interaction. He also describes the research paradigm of Social Pragmatics that experimental psychologists can use to study conversation. This book will be invaluable for advanced students in psychology, sociology, language and linguistics and communication. It will also make fascinating and lively reading for anyone wanting a greater understanding of this fundamental form of social interaction.
Language in African American Communities (Routledge Guides to Linguistics)
by Sonja LanehartLanguage in African American Communities is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the language, culture, and sociohistorical contexts of African American communities. It will also benefit those with a general interest in language and culture, language and language users, and language and identity. This book includes discussions of traditional and non-traditional topics regarding linguistic explorations of African American communities that include difficult conversations around race and racism. Language in African American Communities provides: • an introduction to the sociolinguistic and paralinguistic aspects of language use in African American communities; sociocultural and historical contexts and development; notions about grammar and discourse; the significance of naming and the pall of race and racism in discussions and research of language variation and change; • activities and discussion questions which invite readers to consider their own perspectives on language use in African American communities and how it manifests in their own lives and communities; and • links to relevant videos, stories, music, and digital media that represent language use in African American communities. Written in an approachable, conversational style that uses the author’s native African American (Women’s) Language, this book is aimed at college students and others with little or no prior knowledge of linguistics.
Language in Late Capitalism: Pride and Profit (Routledge Critical Studies in Multilingualism)
by Alexandre Duchêne Monica HellerThis book examines the ways in which our ideas about language and identity which used to be framed in national and political terms as a matter of rights and citizenship are increasingly recast in economic terms as a matter of added value. It argues that this discursive shift is connected to specific characteristics of the globalized new economy in what can be thought of as "late capitalism". Through ten ethnographic case studies, it demonstrates the complex ways in which older nationalist ideologies which invest language with value as a source of pride get bound up with newer neoliberal ideologies which invest language with value as a source of profit. The complex interaction between these modes of mobilizing linguistic resources challenges some of our ideas about globalization, hinting that we are in a period of intensification of modernity, in which the limits of the nation-State are stretched, but not (yet) undone. At the same time, this book argues, this intensification also calls into question modernist ways of looking at language and identity, requiring a more serious engagement with capitalism and how it constitutes symbolic (including linguistic) as well as material markets.
Language in Society (Routledge Guides to Linguistics)
by Nala H. LeeLanguage in Society introduces the study of the relationship between language and society, also known as sociolinguistics, without assuming any prior knowledge of linguistics. Introducing the key concepts in an accessible way, Lee illustrates how language develops constantly as a response to society and must be understood in the context of societal norms, processes, and events. The book: Provides a short history of the field and explores the types of questions that can be asked in sociolinguistics as well as its methods Introduces essential concepts such as sociolinguistic variation, multilingualism, and contact languages Discusses contemporary topics including issues of language endangerment, language and justice, as well as language and computing Includes examples and case studies from the Asia Pacific and focuses on highlighting research from the Southern hemisphere Provides discussions of the future trajectory of the field and some reflection points on practical applications for each chapter Language in Society is key reading for students studying this topic for the first time with little or no background in linguistics.
Language in a Failed State: Public Discourse in the Lebanese Crisis
by Samia BazziThis book examines public, political and media discourse in the context of failed states using Lebanon, a country torn by wars and political-financial corruption, as a contemporary case study. Using critical discourse analysis (CDA), the author brings political and economic theories into dialogue with socio-linguistics to argue that public discourse in a failed state not only plays a role in that collapse but is a key presenting symptom of social disintegration. Through CDA, the book makes this phenomenon visible, and contributes to existing definitions of the concept “failed” or “fragile” state. In addition, the qualitative data and analysis provided offer a tool to assess a state’s vulnerability to collapse. The book also expands the sociolinguistic model to eavesdrop on the zeitgeist of the nation in order to examine the degrees of social cohesion, sectarianism and bonding. This book will be of interest to discourse analysts, journalists, politicians, policy-makers, and economists.
Language in a Globalised World: Social Justice Perspectives on Mobility and Contact
by Khawla BadwanThis book takes a critical look at the role of language in an increasingly diversified and globalised world, using the new framework of 'sociolinguistics of globalisation' to draw together research from human geography, sociolinguistics, and intercultural communication. It argues that globalisation has resulted in a destabilisation of social and linguistic norms, and presents a ‘language-in-motion’ approach which addresses the inequalities and new social divisions brought by the unprecedented levels of population mobility. This book looks at language on the individual, national and transnational level, and it will be of interest to readers with backgrounds in history, politics, human geography, sociolinguistics and minority languages.
Language in its Social Context: An Introduction to Sociolinguistics
by James A. WalkerThis textbook provides an accessible overview of the field of sociolinguistics. Blending qualitative and quantitative approaches and including examples drawn from different contexts and societies all over the world, the author introduces progressively complicated topics to help students build their confidence and understanding gradually as they work through the book. The chapters cover all the core topics on an introductory sociolinguistics course, including language and power, dialects, language and gender, language planning and multilingualism, and each chapter ends with a set of exercises, suggestions for small-scale projects which the author has used successfully with his own students and suggested further readings (both classic and more recent). This book assumes no background in Linguistics and is intended as an introduction to sociolinguistics that can be used at any level of undergraduate or graduate study, or by interested outsiders to the field.
Language in the British Isles
by David BritainThe British Isles are home to a vast range of different spoken and signed languages and dialects. Language continues to evolve rapidly, in its diversity, in the number and the backgrounds of its speakers, and in the repercussions it has had for political and educational affairs. This book provides a comprehensive survey of the dominant languages and dialects used in the British Isles. Topics covered include the history of English; the relationship between Standard and Non-Standard Englishes; the major non-standard varieties spoken on the islands; and the history of multilingualism; and the educational and planning implications of linguistic diversity in the British Isles. Among the many dialects and languages surveyed by the volume are British Black English, Celtic languages, Chinese, Indian, European migrant languages, British Sign Language, and Anglo-Romani. Clear and accessible in its approach, it will be welcomed by students in sociolinguistics, English language, and dialectology, as well as anyone interested more generally in language within British society.
Language in the Inner City: Studies in the Black English Vernacular (Conduct and Communication)
by William Labov<p>With the recent controversy in the Oakland, California school district about Ebonics—or as it is referred to in sociolinguistic circles, African American Vernacular English or Black English Vernacular—much attention has been paid to the patterns of speech prevalent among African Americans in the inner city. <p>In January 1997, at the height of the Ebonics debate, author and prominent sociolinguist William Labov testified before a Senate subcommittee that for most inner city African American children, the relation of sound to spelling is different, and more complicated than for speakers of other dialects. He suggested that it was time to apply this knowledge to the teaching of reading. <p>The testimony harkened back to research contained in his groundbreaking book Language in the Inner City, originally published in 1972. In it, Labov probed the question "Does 'Black English' exist?" and emerged with an answer that was well ahead of his time, and that remains essential to our contemporary understanding of the subject. <p>Language in the Inner City firmly establishes African American Vernacular English not simply as slang but as a well-formed set of rules of pronunciation and grammar capable of conveying complex logic and reasoning. Studying not only the normal processes of communication in the inner city but such art forms as the ritual insult and ritualized narrative, Labov confirms the Black vernacular as a separate and independent dialect of English. His analysis goes on to clarify the nature and processes of linguistic change in the context of a changing society. <p>Perhaps even more today than two decades ago, Labov's conclusions are mandatory reading for anyone concerned with education and social change, with African American culture, and with the future of race relations in this country.</p>
Language is Politics: Exploring an Ecological Approach to Language
by Frank van SplunderLanguage is Politics discusses power relations between languages in the world, with a particular focus on English. Even though English is the most widely spoken and the most powerful language worldwide, it is not the lingua franca it is often supposed to be. The basic tenet of this book is that languages do not exist in the natural world; they are artefacts made by humans. The book debunks some common myths about language and it suggests that we should be more modest in our assumptions, for instance concerning the linguistic uniqueness of our own species. The author argues in favour of an ecological or balanced approach to language. This approach sees humans and other animals as part of the larger ecosystems that life depends on. As in nature, diversity is crucial to the survival of languages. The current linguistic ecosystem is out of balance, and this book shows that education can help to restore the balance and cope with the challenges of a multilingual and multicultural world. With an ecological approach to language and a focus on narratives and personal language histories, this will be key reading for researchers and academics, as well as students of English language and linguistics.
Language of Social Casework (Routledge Revivals: Noel Timms #7)
by Noel TimmsOriginally published in 1968, Language of Social Casework considers the way in which social workers commonly neglect language. It is suggested that part of this neglect is due to the ways in which social workers and their critics envisage the activity of social work. The traditional criticisms of philanthropy and social work, are, therefore reviewed, and an attempt made to describe some common responses to them on the part of the practitioners. This is followed by an examination of two terms that are of some importance in the language of casework: the ‘generic-specific’ concept, and the idea of the ‘settings’ of casework. But casework is also described in terms borrowed from other ‘contexts: it is seen as ‘art’ or ‘science’, as a ‘therapy’ or the offer of ‘friendship’. Each of these descriptions is considered in the last two chapters of the book. The book also includes a brand new and fully updated preface by the author, contextualising this 1968 publication, in light of advancements made in the past 50 years.
Language variation and change in social networks: A bipartite approach (Routledge Studies in Language Change)
by Robin Dodsworth Richard A. BentonThis monograph takes up recent advances in social network methods in sociology, together with data on economic segregation, in order to build a quantitative analysis of the class and network effects implicated in vowel change in a Southern American city. Studies of sociolinguistic variation in urban spaces have uncovered durable patterns of linguistic difference, such as the maintenance of blue collar/white collar distinctions in the case of stable linguistic variables. But the underlying interactional origins of these patterns, and the interactional reasons for their durability, are not well understood, due in part to the near-absence of large-scale network investigation. This book undertakes a sociolinguistic network analysis of data from the Raleigh corpus, a set of conversational interviews collected form natives of Raleigh, North Carolina, from 2008-2017. Acoustic analysis of the corpus shows the rapid, ongoing retreat from the Southern Vowel Shift and increasing participation in national vowel changes. The social distribution of these trends is explored via standard social factors such as occupation as well as innovative network variables, including a measure of nestedness in the community network. The book aims to pursue new network-based questions about sociolinguistic variation that can be applied to other corpora, making this key reading for students and researchers in sociolinguistics and historical linguistics as well as those interested in further understanding how existing quantitative network methods from sociological research might be applied to sociolinguistic data.
Language, Ability and Educational Achievement (Routledge Library Editions: Philosophy of Education #20)
by Christopher WinchThis title, first published in 1990, engages in the current debates about the teaching of literacy and the reform of education. Based on his dissatisfaction with prevalent theories of educational achievement and his experience of teaching in elementary schools, Winch argues that the dichotomy of biological inheritance and environmental influence is inadequate to describe the diverse phenomena of educational achievement. This title will be of interest to students of the philosophy of education.