Description
Book SynopsisLanguage 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 mu
Trade Review
Frank van Splunder’s Language is Politics is a wonderful exploration of how language contributes to what it is to be human. Van Splunder’s command of scholarship is impressive, as is his ability to make links from language to human behaviour at all levels, seeing language as the ultimate liberating tool.
Paul Kerswill, University of York, UK
Table of ContentsContents
Part One Language is Politics
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- The Language Myth
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- The Origin of Language
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- Imagined Communities
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- Language as a Construction
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- The Pecking Order of Languages
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- The Power of English
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- Language and War
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- Life and Death of Languages
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- Towards an Ecological Approach to Language
Part Two Personal Language Histories
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- Aim and Scope
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- Asia
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- Africa
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- Oceania
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- Latin America
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- Europe
Acknowledgements
References
Index
