Language is Politics: Exploring an Ecological Approach to Language

Author:   Frank van Splunder
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
ISBN:  

9780367365431


Pages:   150
Publication Date:   04 December 2019
Format:   Hardback
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
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Language is Politics: Exploring an Ecological Approach to Language


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Overview

Language 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.

Full Product Details

Author:   Frank van Splunder
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.360kg
ISBN:  

9780367365431


ISBN 10:   036736543
Pages:   150
Publication Date:   04 December 2019
Audience:   General/trade ,  College/higher education ,  General ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print   Availability explained
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Contents Part One Language is Politics The Language Myth The Origin of Language Imagined Communities Language as a Construction The Pecking Order of Languages The Power of English Language and War Life and Death of Languages Towards an Ecological Approach to Language Part Two Personal Language Histories Aim and Scope Asia Africa Oceania Latin America Europe Acknowledgements References Index

Reviews

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


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


Author Information

Frank van Splunder teaches academic writing in a multilingual context at Linguapolis, the language centre of the University of Antwerp. He holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Lancaster University. He is a sociolinguist with a particular interest in relations between languages and how they are used to construct identities of people and nations. The focus of his research is English as the language of globalization and its use in higher education in non-English speaking countries.

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