LINGUIST List 13.604

Tue Mar 5 2002

Books: Sociolinguistics

Editor for this issue: Dina Kapetangianni <dinalinguistlist.org>

Directory

1. info, New book (Socioling): World English by Janina Brutt-Griffler

WORLD ENGLISH
A Study of Its Development

Janina Brutt-Griffler
(The University of Alabama)

"There has been a good deal of discussion about the international spread
of English, its historical causes and its present consequences.
However, what has been lacking is a dispassionate and thorough enquiry
into the issues. This book provides it. It gives an extremely well-
informed and carefully argued description of the complex socio-political
and economic influences on the spread of English and the kinds of change
these have brought about."
Henry Widdowson, Professor of English, University of Vienna

This book makes a significant contribution to the history of the English
language through its detailed documentation of the development of
English during the post-colonial era. Of special note is the book's
emphasis on the need for second language acquisition researchers to
investigate the use of English in bilingual speech communities. World
English should be required reading for all scholars interested in
language spread and change. 
Sandra McKay, Professor of English, San Francisco State University

KEY FEATURES
Investigates the agency of non-mother tongue English speech
communities in two principal processes by which English has become a
world language: language spread and language change
Contends that English owes its existence as a world language to the
struggle against imperialism and not to imperialism alone

DESCRIPTION
This book traces the history of English language spread from the
eighteenth century to the present, combining it with a study of its
language change. It links linguistic and sociolinguistic variables that
have conditioned the evolution and change of English, putting forward a
new framework of language spread and change. 

CONTENTS
Glossary/ Preface
1. Images of English: Writing English as an International Language; 
2.The Representation of the Social Science: methodology in Linguistics; 
3.Ideological and Economic Crosscurrents of Empire; 
4. The Contested Terrain of Colonial Language Policy; 
5. Access Denied: Containing the Spread of English; 
6. The Becoming of a World Language; 
7.Macroacquisition: Bilingual Speech Communities and Language Change; 
8.The Macroacquisition of English: new Representation in the Language; 
9.(The) World (of) English: Englishes in Convergence; 
10. Decentering English Applied Linguistics

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Janina Brutt-Griffler, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the English
Department at the University of Alabama. Her research areas include
world English, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, second language
acquisition and second language writing. Her work has appeared in major
English studies journals.

March 2002 Bilingual Education and Bilingualism 34 Format: 210 x 148mm
215 pp
Hbk ISBN 1-85359-578-0 �49.95 US$74.95 CAN$99.95 
Pbk ISBN 1-85359-577-2 �16.95 US$24.95 CAN$29.95

This book (and all Multilingual Matters books) can be ordered via our
secure, fully searchable website http://www.multilingual-matters.com 
This offers free shipping to any address in the world, airmail where
appropriate. Alternatively, it can be ordered through any bookshop, or
in case of difficulty contact the publisher for further details of how
to order.

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