The Politics of English as a World Language: New Horizons in Postcolonial Cultural StudiesChristian Mair The complex politics of English as a world language provides the backdrop both for linguistic studies of varieties of English around the world and for postcolonial literary criticism. The present volume offers contributions from linguists and literary scholars that explore this common ground in a spirit of open interdisciplinary dialogue. Leading authorities assess the state of the art to suggest directions for further research, with substantial case studies ranging over a wide variety of topics - from the legitimacy of language norms of lingua franca communication to the recognition of newer post-colonial varieties of English in the online OED. Four regional sections treat the Caribbean (including the diaspora), Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Australasia and the Pacific Rim. Each section maintains a careful balance between linguistics and literature, and external and indigenous perspectives on issues. The book is the most balanced, complete and up-to-date treatment of the topic to date. |
Contents
| 3 | |
| 19 | |
| 31 | |
English as the Supranational Language of Human Rights? | 53 |
English as an Exotic Language | 67 |
The Ambivalent Impact | 97 |
Towards Global Diglossia? English in the Sciences and the Humanities | 107 |
The Recording of Vocabulary from the Major Varieties of English | 119 |
English as a Lingua Franca and the Politics of Property | 139 |
Language Advocacy and Conquest Diglossia | 157 |
The Caribbean CounterThrust | 179 |
ReReading the Religious Bodies of Postcolonial Literature | 203 |
An Africans Trouble with His Masters Voices | 209 |
Home Hybridity and Postcolonial Discourse in Caryl Phillipss | 219 |
English and the Politics of Language Planning | 235 |
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The Politics of English as a World Language: New Horizons in Postcolonial ... Christian Mair No preview available - 2003 |
Common terms and phrases
academic Achebe African languages Afrikaans apartheid become Bertram British Caribbean Caribbean English code-switching colonial communication context creole languages critical cultural Dictionary diglossia discourse dominant Emecheta English language essay ethnic European example experience expression Filipino film functions global Gooneratne Gronniosaw guage human rights humour identity imperialism Indian indigenous interaction island Jamaican creole Kenya Kiswahili Language Planning language policy language varieties lingua franca Linguistic Imperialism lish literary literature London Magona Malayalam Maori Maori language mate medium mother tongue Mphahlele multilingual narrative national language native norms novel official language Oxford Pakeha Philippines Phillipson Pidgin Pitcairn Pitkern political postcolonial Rainbow City readers role situation Skutnabb-Kangas social society sociolinguistic South Africa speak speakers speech Sri Lanka Standard English status stories strategies Tanzania teachers tion tradition University varieties of English vernacular Western words writing York Zealand English