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Books > Language & Literature > Language & linguistics > Psycholinguistics > Bilingualism & multilingualism
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Multilingualism: A Very Short Introduction (Paperback)
Loot Price: R269
Discovery Miles 2 690
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Multilingualism: A Very Short Introduction (Paperback)
Series: Very Short Introductions
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List price R298
Loot Price R269
Discovery Miles 2 690
You Save R29 (10%)
Expected to ship within 9 - 17 working days
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The languages of the world can be seen and heard in cities and
towns, forests and isolated settlements, as well as on the internet
and in international organizations like the UN or the EU. How did
the world acquire so many languages? Why can't we all speak one
language, like English or Esperanto? And what makes a person
bilingual? Multilingualism, language diversity in society, is a
perfect expression of human plurality. About 6,500-7,000 languages
are spoken, written and signed, throughout the linguistic landscape
of the world, by people who communicate in more than one language
(at work, or in the family or community). Many origin myths, like
Babel, called it a 'punishment' but multilingualism makes us who we
are and plays a large part of our sense of belonging. Languages are
instruments for interacting with the cultural environment and their
ecology is complex. They can die (Tasmanian), or decline then
revive (Manx and Hawaiian), reconstitute from older forms (modern
Hebrew), gain new status (Catalan and Maori) or become autonomous
national languages (Croatian). Languages can even play a supportive
and symbolic role as some territories pursue autonomy or
nationhood, such as in the cases of Catalonia and Scotland. In this
Very Short Introduction John C. Maher shows how multilingualism
offers cultural diversity, complex identities, and alternative ways
of doing and knowing to hybrid identities. Increasing
multilingualism is drastically changing our view of the value of
language, and our notion of the part language plays in national and
cultural identities. At the same time multilingualism can lead to
social and political conflict, unequal power relations, issues of
multiculturalism, and discussions over 'national' or 'official'
languages, with struggles over language rights of local and
indigenous communities. Considering multilingualism in the context
of globalization, Maher also looks at the fate of many endangered
languages as they disappear from the world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The
Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press
contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These
pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new
subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis,
perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and
challenging topics highly readable.
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