Languages in a Globalising World

by Jacques Maurais, Michael A. Morris

Overview

The fate of languages has been closely linked to political power relationships throughout human history. Political shifts in the international system today continue to affect linguistic patterns, still in a state of flux following the end of the Cold War. This book considers the effects of present-day trends in global politics on the relative status of languages, and the directions in which the linguistic hierarchy might develop in the future. It appeals to researchers and students of sociolinguistics and language planning as well as of international relations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521821735
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/10/2003
Pages:	364
Product dimensions:	6.22(w) x 9.29(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Michael A. Morris is Professor of Political Science at Clemson University where he holds a joint appointment as Professor of Languages. Dr Morris has published extensively on naval and maritime affairs as well as language politics. This includes four books of sole authorship, editorship of eight books and journal issues, and author of seven monographs and over fifty books and journal articles.

Jacques Maurais is currently with the Conseil de la langue française in Quebec City. He has edited various works on sociolinguistics and language planning and is the author of more than one hundred specialised articles and chapters in books on language planning, sociolinguistics, and terminology as well as some monographs.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction Jacques Maurais and Michael A. Morris; Part I. Global Communication Challenges: 2. Toward a new global linguistic order? Jacques Maurais; 3. The geostrategies of interlingualism Mark Fettes; 4. Language policy and linguistic theory Douglas A. Kibbee; 5. Babel and the market: geostrategies for minority languages Jean Laponce; 6. Forecasting the fate of languages William F. Mackey; Part II. Major Areas: 7. Language geostrategy in Eastern and Central Europe: assessment and perspectives Ferenc Fodor and Sandrine Peluau; 8. Languages and supranationality in Europe: the linguistic influence of the European Union Claude Truchot; 9. Regional blocs as a barrier against English hegemony? The language policy of Mercosur in South America Rainer Enrique Hamel; 10. Effects of North American integration on linguistic diversity Michael Morris; 11. Sociolinguistic changes in transformed Central Asian societies Birgit N. Schlyter; 12. Language and script in Japan and other East Asian countries: between insularity and technology Stefan Kaiser; 13. Sub-Saharan Africa Roland Breton; 14. Australasia and the South Pacific Richard B. Baldauf Jr. and Paulin G. Djité; Part III. Languages of Wider Communication: 15. The international status of the German language Ulrich Ammon; 16. Arabic and the new technologies Foued Laroussi; 17. Russian in the modern world Vida Io. Mikhalchenko and Yulia Trushkova; 18. Geolinguistics, geopolitics, geostrategy: the case of French Robert Chaudenson; 19. Toward a scientific geostrategy for English Grant McConnell; 20. On Brazilian Portuguese in Latin American Integration Maria da Graça Krieger; 21. Conclusion: the search for a global linguistic strategy Humphrey Tonkin.

Editorial Reviews

'… with its interdisciplinary approach it will appeal to researchers and students of sociolinguistics and language planning as well as of international relations.' The Linguist List

'… this book offers a valuable resource for the systematic study of language globalisation and the international challenges and issues it raises. Due to the scope of its coverage and the high quality of the discussion, this is a book that we simply cannot afford not having on our shelves if we are interested in any aspect of contemporary language changes …'. Journal of Sociolinguistics

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