Download or read book Language Conflict and Language Rights written by William D. Davies and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-08-09 with total page 451 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the colonial hegemony of empire fades around the world, the role of language in ethnic conflict has become increasingly topical, as have issues concerning the right of speakers to choose and use their preferred language(s). Such rights are often asserted and defended in response to their being violated. The importance of understanding these events and issues, and their relationship to individual, ethnic, and national identity, is central to research and debate in a range of fields outside of, as well as within, linguistics. This book provides a clearly written introduction for linguists and non-specialists alike, presenting basic facts about the role of language in the formation of identity and the preservation of culture. It articulates and explores categories of conflict and language rights abuses through detailed presentation of illustrative case studies, and distills from these key cross-linguistic and cross-cultural generalizations.

Download or read book National Language Policy in Sri Lanka 1956 to 1996 written by R. G. G. Olcott Gunasekera and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Language Religion and Ethnic Assertiveness written by Kē. En. Ō Dharmadāsa and published by University of Michigan Press. This book was released on 1992 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For nearly four decades, Sri Lanka has been the scene of an escalating ethnic conflict between the majority Sinhalese and the Tamils, who form the largest minority. Language, Religion, and Ethnic Assertiveness traces the development of Sinhalese nationalism by paying particular attention to the Sinhala language and how it relates to Sinhalese national identity. After Sri Lanka became independent from Great Britain in 1948, an official national language had to be chosen - either "Sinhala only" or "parity of status for Sinhala and Tamil". The victory of the "Sinhala only" proposition that won in the general election of 1956 started the antagonism between the Sinhalese and the Tamils that persists to this day. Using hitherto untapped primary sources, K. N. O. Dharmadasa delineates some of the peculiar features of the linkage between state, religion, and ethnicity in traditional Sinhalese society, providing insight into a tragic conflict that has a long and turbulent history. The book has much to offer historians, political scientists, anthropologists, and sociologists of language and religion, as well as students and scholars of South Asia, postcolonialism, ethnicity, cultural identity, and conflict.

Download or read book Dominant Language Constellations written by Joseph Lo Bianco and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-09-07 with total page 286 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is dedicated to the concept and several applications of Dominant Language Constellations (DLC), by which it advances understanding of current multilingualism through addition of a novel perspective from which to view contemporary language use and acquisition. The term Dominant Language Constellation denotes the set of a person’s or group's most expedient languages, functioning as an entire unit and enabling an individual or group to meet their needs in a multilingual environment. The volume presents pioneering contributions that employ DLC as the lens for analysing a wide array of issues. These include multilingual syntactic development, cross-linguistic interaction and multilingual production in formal and informal educational contexts, as well as linguistic profiles of multilingual groups used in elementary school and higher education. Other DLC issues include discussions of how identity, emotions and attitudes operate in various minority and majority contexts. Because the DLC concept does not assume any inherent hierarchy of languages it can serve as a framework public policy in multilingual countries/communities faced with challenging policy determinations regarding choice of languages for use in education settings and more widely in social institutions and the economy. Some chapters develop and extend the DLC concept, others adapt and apply it to a variety of contexts, both global and local. Many chapters feature educational and social settings across large parts of the world– Africa, Australia, Europe, North America (Canada and the USA) and Southeast Asia. The volume can serve as supplementary reading for courses on multilingualism, sociolinguistics, language policy and planning, educational linguistics, Second and Third Language Acquisition.

Download or read book How Language Began The Story of Humanity s Greatest Invention written by Daniel L. Everett and published by Liveright Publishing. This book was released on 2017-11-07 with total page 309 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Buzzfeed Gift Guide Selection “Few books on the biological and cultural origin of humanity can be ranked as classics. I believe [this] will be one of them.” — Edward O. Wilson At the time of its publication, How Language Began received high acclaim for capturing the fascinating history of mankind’s most incredible creation. Deemed a “bombshell” linguist and “instant folk hero” by Tom Wolfe (Harper’s), Daniel L. Everett posits that the near- 7,000 languages that exist today are not only the product of one million years of evolution but also have allowed us to become Earth’s apex predator. Tracing 60,000 generations, Everett debunks long- held theories across a spectrum of disciplines to affi rm the idea that we are not born with an instinct for language. Woven with anecdotes of his nearly forty years of fi eldwork amongst Amazonian hunter- gatherers, this is a “completely enthralling” (Spectator) exploration of our humanity and a landmark study of what makes us human. “[An] ambitious text. . . . Everett’s amiable tone, and especially his captivating anecdotes . . . , will help the neophyte along.”— New York Times Book Review

Download or read book The Handbook of Asian Englishes written by Kingsley Bolton and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-09-14 with total page 928 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first volume of its kind, focusing on the sociolinguistic and socio-political issues surrounding Asian Englishes The Handbook of Asian Englishes provides wide-ranging coverage of the historical and cultural context, contemporary dynamics, and linguistic features of English in use throughout the Asian region. This first-of-its-kind volume offers a wide-ranging exploration of the English language throughout nations in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Contributions by a team of internationally-recognized linguists and scholars of Asian Englishes and Asian languages survey existing works and review new and emerging areas of research in the field. Edited by internationally renowned scholars in the field and structured in four parts, this Handbook explores the status and functions of English in the educational institutions, legal systems, media, popular cultures, and religions of diverse Asian societies. In addition to examining nation-specific topics, this comprehensive volume presents articles exploring pan-Asian issues such as English in Asian schools and universities, English and language policies in the Asian region, and the statistics of English across Asia. Up-to-date research addresses the impact of English as an Asian lingua franca, globalization and Asian Englishes, the dynamics of multilingualism, and more. Examines linguistic history, contemporary linguistic issues, and English in the Outer and Expanding Circles of Asia Focuses on the rapidly-growing complexities of English throughout Asia Includes reviews of the new frontiers of research in Asian Englishes, including the impact of globalization and popular culture Presents an innovative survey of Asian Englishes in one comprehensive volume Serving as an important contribution to fields such as contact linguistics, World Englishes, sociolinguistics, and Asian language studies, The Handbook of Asian Englishes is an invaluable reference resource for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and instructors across these areas. Winner of the 2021 PROSE Humanities Category for Language & Linguistics

Download or read book Sri Lankans Views on English in the Colonial and Post Colonial Eras written by Dr. Subathini Ramesh and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book evaluates the views of different ethnic groups towards the English language in Sri Lanka for a period of almost two centuries. While a few studies have addressed the subject of English in Sri Lanka in a general way, there has been no research showing the specifics of English usage in the major ethnic communities of the country. This text considers notions and attitudes towards English that prevail in Sri Lanka today among writers, language planners, teachers and students, habitual speakers, and infrequent users, as well as elite and non-elite groups in the country. The book also examines colonial and postcolonial writings in three communities, namely the Sri Lankan diaspora and the Tamil and Sinhala communities.

Download or read book The Lexis and Lexicogrammar of Sri Lankan English written by Tobias Bernaisch and published by John Benjamins Publishing Company. This book was released on 2015-09-15 with total page 263 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers the first in-depth corpus-based description of written Sri Lankan English. In comparison to British and Indian English, lexical and lexicogrammatical features of Sri Lankan English are analysed in a complex corpus environment comprising data from the respective components of the International Corpus of English, newspapers and online sources to explore the status of Sri Lankan English as a variety in its own right. The evolution of Sri Lankan English is depicted against the background of historical as well as sociolinguistic considerations and allows deriving a fine-grained model of the emergence of distinctive structural profiles of postcolonial Englishes developing in a multitude of norm orientations. This book is highly relevant to readers interested in Sri Lankan English and South Asian Englishes. It also offers more general sociolinguistic perspectives on the dynamics of postcolonial Englishes world-wide and on the inextricable link between language and identity.

Download or read book Language Conflict and Language Rights written by William D. Davies and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2018-08-09 with total page 451 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An overview of language rights issues and language conflicts with detailed examination of many cases past and present around the world.

Download or read book Pronouns written by Horst J. Simon and published by John Benjamins Publishing. This book was released on 2002 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The contributions of this thematic collection center around the typology of pronominal paradigms, the generation of syntactic and semantic representations for constructions containing pronouns, and the neurological underpinnings for linguistic distinctions that are relevant for the production and interpretation of these constructions. They come from different theoretical approaches and methodological backgrounds and take into account data from a wide range of Indoeuropean and non-Indoeuropean languages. Bringing together a cross-section of recent research on the grammar and representation of pronouns, the volume offers a kaleidoscope of studies united by the common topic of pronouns as a domain of language that exemplarily shows the interaction of different components responsible for computational (syntactic and semantic), lexical, and discourse-pragmatic processes.

Download or read book Sengoidelc written by David Stifter and published by Syracuse University Press. This book was released on 2006-06-12 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: David Stifter’s Sengoídelc (SHAN-goy-thelg) provides a comprehensive introduction to Old Irish grammar and metrics. As an introductory text to the Irish language spoken around the eighth century C.E., this essential volume, covering all aspects of the grammar in a clear and intuitive format, is ideally suited for use as a course book or as a guide for the independent learner. This handbook also will be an essential reference work for students of Indo-European philology and historical linguistics. Stifter leads the novice through the idiosyncrasies of the language, such as initial mutations and the double inflection of verbs. Filled with translation exercises based on selections from Old Irish texts, the book provides a practical introduction to the language and its rich history. Sengoídelc opens the door to the fascinating world of Old Irish literature, famous not only for the Táin Bó Cúailnge (The Cattle Raid of Cúailnge) and its lyrical nature poetry but also as a major source for the political and legal history of Ireland. Stifter’s step-by-step approach and engaging style make his book an ideal tool for both the self taught individual and the classroom environment. It will be of interest to beginning students of Old and Middle Irish, to scholars of Irish history, Celtic culture, and comparative linguistics, and to readers of Irish literature.

Download or read book Language Minorities and Human Rights written by Fernand de Varennes and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2021-09-27 with total page 552 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the most vexing issues in many of the world's so-called ethnic or minority conflicts is the question of language use by the State and its citizens. While international and national law has traditionally viewed language preference to be within a State's prerogative - at least when involving governmental activities and machinery - this position has proved to be a continuous source of acrimony and conflict, and wrong in some respects. Language, Minorities, and Human Rights is the most complete book ever written on the topic, providing for the first time an analysis of every aspect of language and the law. In addition to presenting a theoretical model for language's particular position and relevance in human rights, it constitutes an invaluable reference document by including the provisions of close to 100 international, multilateral and bilateral instruments involving language rights, as well as the constitutional provisions of 140 countries dealing with language. By addressing little explored areas such as the language rights of indigenous peoples, non-citizens and even the use of script, in addition to more traditional topics such as nationalism and language, freedom of expression and non-discrimination, Language, Minorities and Human Rights proposes a complete descriptive picture of language and human rights as well as proposing a number of suggestions on how to address and balance the many problems currently caused by the linguistic demands of various individuals and the interests of states in nation building.

Download or read book Teaching of English written by Iresha Madhavi Karunaratne and published by APH Publishing. This book was released on 2009 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Study conducted in government schools of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Download or read book Constitutions of Nations written by Amos Peaslee and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-29 with total page 998 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Language Planning in the Asia Pacific written by Robert B. Kaplan and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-12-16 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume covers the language situation in Hong Kong, Timor-Leste and Sri Lanka explaining the linguistic diversity, the historical and political contexts and the current language situation, including language-in-education planning, the role of the media, the role of religion and the roles of non-indigenous languages. Two of the authors are indigenous to the situations described while the other has undertaken extensive field work and consulting there. The three monographs contained in this volume draw together the literature on each of the polities to present an overview of the research available about each of them, while providing new research-based information. The purpose of the volume is to provide an up-to-date overview of the language situation in each polity based on a series of key questions in the hope that this might facilitate the development of a richer theory to guide language policy and planning in other polities where similar issues may arise. This book was published as special issues of Current Issues in Language Planning.

Download or read book The Handbook of Bilingual and Multilingual Education written by Wayne E. Wright and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2017-09-25 with total page 688 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Handbook of Bilingual and Multilingual Education presents the first comprehensive international reference work of the latest policies, practices, and theories related to the dynamic interdisciplinary field of bilingual and multilingual education. Represents the first comprehensive reference work that covers bilingual, multilingual, and multicultural educational policies and practices around the world Features contributions from 78 established and emerging international scholars Offers extensive coverage in sixteen chapters of language and education issues in specific and diverse regional/geographic contexts, including South Africa, Mexico, Latvia, Cambodia, Japan, and Texas Covers pedagogical issues such as language assessment as well as offering evolving perspectives on the needs of specific learner populations, such as ELLs, learners with language impairments, and bilingual education outside of the classroom

Download or read book Language Education and Identity written by Chaise LaDousa and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2021-07-08 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines medium of instruction in education and studies its social, economic, and political significance in the lives of people living in South Asia. It provides insight into the meaning of medium and what makes it so important to identity, aspiration, and inequality. It questions the ideologized associations between education and social and spatial mobility and discusses the gender- and class-based marginalization that comes with vernacular-medium education. The volume also considers how policy measures, such as the Right to Education (RTE) Act in India, have failed to address the inequalities brought by medium in schools, and investigates questions on language access, inclusion, and rights. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and in-depth interviews, the book will be indispensable for students and scholars of anthropology, education studies, sociolinguistics, sociology, and South Asian studies. It will also appeal to those interested in language and education in South Asia, especially the role of language in the reproduction of inequality.