Challenges in the Social Life of Language

Cover......Page 1
Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
Contents......Page 8
General observations......Page 12
Setting the stage for the social life of language......Page 14
Part 1: Perceptual underpinnings......Page 20
Part 2: Identity matters......Page 26
Part 3: Language contact and its consequences......Page 32
Coda......Page 38
Notes......Page 39
Part 1 Perceptual Underpinnings......Page 40
LaPiere I: 1928......Page 42
LaPiere II: 1934......Page 47
Beyond LaPiere......Page 48
The willing worker......Page 52
Attitude, behaviour and belief......Page 57
Notes......Page 60
An introductory note......Page 63
The importance – and the unimportance – of language attitudes......Page 64
The importance of language attitudes revisited......Page 70
Further details needed......Page 74
Accommodation......Page 75
Notes......Page 78
Standard, non- standard and regional standard dialects......Page 79
The dynamics of powerful standards......Page 84
The Queen’s English......Page 86
The dynamics of dialect evaluation......Page 87
Ebonicsh......Page 95
Language difference as language deficit: the social power of attitudes......Page 97
Notes......Page 102
Part 2 Identity Matters......Page 104
An introductory note......Page 106
The centrality of the group......Page 109
The importance of names and narratives......Page 114
Language as instrument and symbol......Page 116
The varied linguistic bearers of identity......Page 121
Notes......Page 124
Ethnolinguistic vitality and its implications for group contact......Page 125
Ethnicity, nationalism and the protection of languages......Page 127
Language ecology......Page 131
Language, religion and identity......Page 138
Ancestral voices......Page 139
Modern times: Israel and Ireland......Page 141
Spreading the word......Page 143
Notes......Page 145
Gender and identity: An introductory note......Page 148
Introductory remarks......Page 150
Goffman re- examined......Page 152
Back to language......Page 158
Notes......Page 166
Part 3 Language Contact and Its Consequences......Page 170
How languages spread......Page 172
The contemporary reach of English......Page 176
The imperial thesis......Page 179
The expansion of English......Page 186
Notes......Page 188
An introductory note......Page 192
English in the world......Page 193
Lending and borrowing......Page 199
The implications of world English for language teaching and learning......Page 204
A concluding note......Page 210
Notes......Page 211
An introductory note......Page 214
Popular assessments......Page 216
Canada......Page 219
Britain......Page 220
The United States......Page 223
English in Europe......Page 227
Notes......Page 229
Predicting language dynamics: General notes......Page 230
Large and small languages......Page 233
Academic insights......Page 235
Language futures: The work of Abram de Swaan......Page 236
Language futures: The work of Philippe van Parijs......Page 240
Criticisms of de Swaan and van Parijs......Page 243
Notes......Page 252
References......Page 256
Index......Page 288