Author: Jean-Jacques Weber
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136515151
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 233

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Book Description
Introducing Multilingualism is a brand new, comprehensive and user-friendly introduction to the dynamic field of multilingualism. Adopting a compelling social and critical approach, Jean-Jacques Weber and Kristine Horner guide readers through the established theories about multilingualism. The book covers language as a social construct, language contact and variation, language and identity and the differences between individual and societal multilingualism. The authors also provide an alternative approach to studying multilingualism, introducing innovative concepts such as flexible multilingualism and literacy bridge in order to encourage students to critically question dominant discourses on topics such as integration, heritage and language testing. This highly practical textbook incorporates a wide range of engaging activities and encourages students to think critically about important social and educational issues. Throughout, the theoretical content is explored through a wide range of case studies from around the world. Clearly argued and widely applicable, this book is essential reading for undergraduate students and postgraduate students new to studying multilingualism.

Author: Kristine Horner
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351997726
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
Introducing Multilingualism is a comprehensive and user-friendly introduction to the dynamic field of multilingualism. Adopting a compelling social and critical approach and covering important social and educational issues, the authors expertly guide readers through the established theories, leading them to question dominant discourses on subjects such as integration, heritage and language testing. This second edition has been fully revised and updated, featuring new chapters on multilingualism in new media, the workplace and the family. Other key topics include: language as a social construct language contact and variation language and identity the differences between individual and societal multilingualism translanguaging flexible multilingual education. With a wide range of engaging activities and quizzes and a comprehensive selection of case studies from around the world, this is essential reading for undergraduate students and postgraduate students new to studying multilingualism.

Author: John C. Maher
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191038075
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 144

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Book Description
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.

Author: Florian Coulmas
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198791100
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 341

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Book Description
This book offers an introduction to the many facets of multilingualism in a changing world. It begins with an overview of the multiplicity of human languages and their geographic distribution, before moving on to the key question of what multilingualism actually is and what is understood by terms such as 'mother tongue', 'native speaker', and 'speech community'. In the chapters that follow, Florian Coulmas systematically explores multilingualism with respect to the individual, institutions, cities, nations, and cyberspace. In each of these domains, the dynamics of language choice are undergoing changes as a result of economic, political, and cultural forces. Against this background, two chapters discuss the effects of linguistic diversity on the integration and separation of language and society, before a final chapter describes and assesses research methods for investigating multilingualism. Each chapter concludes with problems and questions for discussion, which place the topic in a real-world context. The book explores where, when, and why multilingualism came to be regarded as a problem, and why it presents a serious challenge for linguistic theory today. It provides the basic tools to analyse different kinds of multilingualism at both the individual and society level, and will be of interest to students of linguistics, sociology, education, and communication studies.

Author: John C. Maher
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198724993
Category : Bilingualism
Languages : en
Pages : 169

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Book Description
John C. Maher explains why societies everywhere have become more multilingual, despite the disappearance of hundreds of the world languages. He considers our notion of language as national or cultural identities, and discusses why nations cluster and survive around particular languages even as some territories pursue autonomy or nationhood.

Author: Rodney H. Jones
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108498922
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
An accessible and entertaining textbook that introduces students to sociolinguistics in a real-world context, with issues they care about.

Author: Aileen Bloomer
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 041529178X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 497

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Book Description
Introducing Language in Use is a comprehensive coursebook for students new to the study of language and linguistics. Written by a highly experienced team of teachers, this coursebook is lively and accessible, interactive and above all produced with students firmly in mind. Drawing on a vast range of data and examples of language in its many forms, the book provides students with the tools they need to analyse real language in diverse contexts. Designed to be highly adaptable for course use, the authors suggest a range of different routes through the book. Introducing Language in Use: covers all the core areas and topics of language study: language, semiotics and communication, grammar, phonetics, words, semantics, variety in language, history of English, world Englishes, multilingualism, psycholinguistics, child language acquisition, conversation analysis, pragmatics, power and politeness, language in education has chapters contributed by John Field and Sushie Dobbinson, expanding the range of expertise adopts a 'how to' approach, encouraging students to apply their knowledge as they learn it presents many examples, drawn from varied domains (including conversation, advertising and text messaging), always giving precedence to real language in use includes activities throughout the text with commentaries, summaries, suggestions for further reading and an extensive glossary of terms features a final unit which offers students further practice in analysing language in use is supported by a companion website, offering extra resources for students and instructors This will be an essential coursebook for all introductory courses in English language, language and communication and linguistics.

Author: Rajend Mesthrie
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
ISBN: 0748632492
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 528

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Book Description
Sociolinguistics is one of the central branches of modern linguistics and deals with the place of language in human societies. This second edition of Introducing Sociolinguistics expertly synthesises the main approaches to the subject. The book covers areas such as multilingualism, code-choice, language variation, dialectology, interactional studies, gender, language contact, language and inequality, and language and power. At the same time it provides an integrated perspective on these themes by examining sociological theories of human interaction. In this regard power and inequality are particularly significant. The book also contains two chapters on the applications of sociolinguistics (in education and in language policy and planning) and a concluding chapter on the sociolinguistics of sign language. New topics covered include speaking style and stylisation, while current debates in areas like creolisation, globalisation and language death, language planning, and gender are reflected.Written collaboratively by teachers and scholars with first hand experience of sociolinguistic developments on four continents, this book provides the broadest introduction currently available to the central topics in sociolinguistics.Features:* Provides a solid foundation in all aspects of sociolinguistics and explores important themes such as power and inequality, sign language, gender and the internet* Well illustrated with maps, diagrams, inset boxes, drawings and cartoons* Accessibly written with the beginner in mind* Uses numerous examples from multilingual settings* Explains basic concepts, supported by a glossary* Further Reading lists, a full bibliography, and a section on 'next steps' provide valuable guidance.

Author: Judith Buendgens-Kosten
Publisher: Multilingual Matters
ISBN: 178892150X
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
Recent developments in education, such as the increasing linguistic diversity in school populations and the digital revolution which has led to new ways of being, learning and socialising, have brought about fresh challenges and opportunities. In response, this book shows how technology enriches multilingual language learning, as well as how multilingual practices enrich computer assisted language learning (CALL) by bringing together two, thus far distinct, fields of research: CALL and multilingual approaches to language learning. The collection includes contributions from researchers and practitioners from three continents to illustrate how native languages, previously studied languages, heritage languages or dialects are activated through technology in formal and informal learning situations. The studies in this book showcase multilingual language use in chat rooms, computer games, digital stories, ebook apps, online texts and telecollaboration/virtual exchange via interactive whiteboards. This volume will be of interest to researchers interested in language learning and teaching and to practitioners looking for support in seizing the opportunities presented by the multilingual, digital classroom.

Author: Joyce Bruhn de Garavito
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108482554
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 639

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Book Description
Offers a contemporary approach to the study of language. The engaging, thought-provoking discourse of this book makes it accessible to all learners.