Multilingualism And Government Book in PDF, ePub and Kindle version is available to download in english. Read online anytime anywhere directly from your device. Click on the download button below to get a free pdf file of Multilingualism And Government book. This book definitely worth reading, it is an incredibly well-written.
Multilingualism and Government by Kas Deprez,Theo Du Plessis Pdf
Provides case studies on the way in which governments deal with societal multilingualism in countries such as Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and the former Yugoslavia, in comparison with South Africa. This text focuses primarily on language policy and language legislation in these countries.
Multilingualism: A Very Short Introduction by John C. Maher Pdf
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.
Conflict and Compromise in Multilingual Societies by Kenneth Douglas McRae Pdf
After the French Revolution, Switzerland developed from a country in which German dominated linguistically into a confederation of four officially recognised language groups -- German, French, Italian, Romansh -- concentrated in different geographical areas and marked by distinctive cultures and lifestyles. Following a historical overview of this development and the social and political institutionalisation of the linguistic cleavages, McRae's study examines key elements in the functioning of modern Swiss society; political parties, federal and cantonal institutions, the media, educational and cultural policies, the relation between the linguistic cleavages and class and religion, the attitudes and behaviour of the four language groups to one another. It concludes by reviewing the various explanations advanced to explain the relative social and political stability of Switzerland.
Multilingualism and the Public Sector in South Africa by Munene Mwaniki Pdf
Multilingualism and the Public Sector in South Africa contributes to the discourse on language in South Africa with a specific focus on multilingualism and the public sector. The book argues for and demonstrates the relevance of putting into place appropriate language policies to help the majority of the people of South Africa take an active part in nation-building endeavours; processes in which the public sector is key. The discussion tackles the intricacies of the public sector from a constitutional; legislative and policy; human resource and organisational culture; capital and infrastructure point of view; and builds a case for the provision of multilingual services in the public sector ? as the benchmark of public sector service provision. ?This is a very useful piece of work in terms of its contribution to the general field of language and development. The author is arguing for and demonstrating the relevance of putting into place appropriate language policies to help a majority of the people of South Africa take an active part in nation-building. This can be done through many channels, and the Public Sector is one of the key areas that need to take up this challenge... Many people, linguists included, speak of the relevance of language and multilingualism, but very few are able to illustrate it in an area of relevance such as the Public Sector. This is research that will be of interest to specialists for sure, but also to the layman simply interested in finding out more about the relevance of multilingualism to society; not just in terms of social and cultural heritage, but also in terms of its contribution to an improved economic output? Paulin DJIT�, School of Humanities and Languages, University of Western Sydney ? Australia
Multilingualism and Politics by Katerina Strani Pdf
This edited book makes a significant contribution to the relatively under-explored field of multilingualism and politics, approaching the topic from two key perspectives: multilingualism in politics, and the politics of multilingualism. Through the lens of case studies from around the world, the authors in this volume combine theoretical and empirical insights to examine the inter-relation between multilingualism and politics in different spheres and contexts, including minority language policy, national identity, the translation of political debates and discourse, and the use of multiple, often competing languages in educational settings. This book will be of interest to students and scholars in the fields of politics, sociology, sociolinguistics, language policy, and translation and interpreting studies.
Multilingualism in European Language Education by Cecilio Lapresta-Rey,Ángel Huguet Pdf
This book explores how different European education systems manage multilingualism. Each chapter focuses on one of ten diverse settings (Andorra, Asturias, the Basque Country, Catalonia, England, Finland, France, Latvia, the Netherlands and Romania) and considers how its education system is influenced by historical, sociolinguistic and legislative and political processes and how languages are handled within the system, stressing the challenges and opportunities in each area of study. The chapters provide the reader with insights around three key aspects: the management of the guarantee of the rights of regional language minorities; the incorporation of the language background inherited by immigrants living in Europe (whether they are European citizens or not) and the need to promote the learning of international languages. Individually, the chapters offer deep insights into a specific education system and, together, the studies allow for a comparison and holistic understanding of multilingualism in European education.
Conflict and Compromise in Multilingual Societies by Kenneth Douglas McRae,Mika Helander,Sari Luoma Pdf
Conflict and Compromise, Volume 3: Finland examines historical and developmental patterns during the Swedish, Russian and post-independence periods of Finland's history. McRae outlines Finland's changing social structures, showing how the language groups have evolved within these structures in the twentieth century. He compares how Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking citizens perceive themselves and other language groups, as well as the similarities and differences in their views on political and social issues. Further, the book describes in detail the constitutional and institutional arrangements for languages in Finland's political and administrative system, as well as in education and the mass media.
Multilingualism in European Bilingual Contexts by David Lasagabaster,Angel Huguet Pdf
Despite the spread of multilingualism, the number of research studies in multilingual contexts is scarce. This book deals with this question by examining would-be teachers' language use and attitudes, as their influence on future generations can be enormous. The use of the same questionnaire and the same methodology allows the reader to compare the results obtained in different European bilingual contexts, where the presence of diverse foreign languages leads to a situation in which several languages are in contact.
Language Policy Challenges in Multi-Ethnic Malaysia by Saran Kaur Gill Pdf
Set in Malaysia, this book encompasses language and cultural policy challenges that many other multi-ethnic nations currently have to address. The people of Malaysia constitute a diverse ethnic, linguistic and cultural population and one of the continuing challenges is the development and establishment of the Malaysian people’s ethnic, national and global cultural identities. This challenge is evident in the journey of language and cultural policy from the post-independence period to the 21st century; a period of over 50 years. The book highlights political, socio-cultural, economic and knowledge economy factors as they impact on decisions made by the government with regard to language policy in the various educational systems. It examines decisions made on the selection of the national language, the medium of instruction in educational systems, the varying changes in language policy for the field of science and technology and the maintenance and sustenance of minority languages.
Author : William R. Beer,James E. Jacob Publisher : Government Institutes Page : 264 pages File Size : 54,8 Mb Release : 1985 Category : Language Arts & Disciplines ISBN : 0865980586
Language Policy and National Unity by William R. Beer,James E. Jacob Pdf
The central focus of each chapter is language policy and how it accomplishes-or fails to accomplish-the task of maintaining national unity in the face of linguistic diversity. Included among the nations considered are examples of postcolonial cultures, as well as nations that have sheltered linguistic minorities within their borders throughout their history, countries fragmented into tribal groups, and those divided by a plethora of local dialects.
Language Policy & Identity In The U.S. by Ron Schmidt Pdf
Well over thirty million people in the United States speak a primary language other than English. Nearly twenty million of them speak Spanish. And these numbers are growing. Critics of immigration and multiculturalism argue that recent government language policies such as bilingual education, non-English election materials, and social service and workplace "language rights" threaten the national character of the United States. Proponents of bilingualism, on the other hand, maintain that, far from being a threat, these language policies and programs provide an opportunity to right old wrongs and make the United States a more democratic society. This book lays out the two approaches to language policy -- linguistic assimilation and linguistic pluralism -- in clear and accessible terms. Filled with examples and narratives, it provides a readable overview of the U.S. "culture wars" and explains why the conflict has just now emerged as a major issue in the United States. Professor Schmidt examines bilingual education in the public schools, "linguistic access" rights to public services, and the designation of English as the United States' "official" language. He illuminates the conflict by describing the comparative, theoretical, and social contexts for the debate. The source of the disagreement, he maintains, is not a disagreement over language per se but over identity and the consequences of identity for individuals, ethnic groups, and the country as a whole. Who are "the American people"? Are we one national group into which newcomers must assimilate? Or are we composed of many cultural communities, each of which is a unique but integral part of the national fabric? This fundamental point is what underlies the specific disputes over language policy. This way of looking at identity politics, as Professor Schmidt shows, calls into question the dichotomy between "material interest" politics and "symbolic" politics in relation to group identities. Not limited to describing the nature and context of the language debate, Language Policy and Identity Politics in the United States reaches the conclusion that a policy of linguistic pluralism, coupled with an immigrant settlement policy and egalitarian economic reforms, will best meet the aims of justice and the common good. Only by attacking both the symbolic and material effects of racialization will the United States be able to attain the goals of social equality and national harmony.
