Non-linguistic conflicts--economic, religious, territorial--are often projected on to language differences, and may be played out in the language policies of governments and other holders of power. Jean-Louis Calvet deals broadly, in a non-technical and introductory style, with this interaction of language issues and political process. He examines the fundamental problems arising from language contact, multilingualism, and the conflicts caused by inequalities symbolized in various patterns of language use.
Non-linguistic conflicts--economic, religious, territorial--are often projected on to language differences, and may be played out in the language poli...
In this book Louis-Jean Calvet argues that what we call 'languages' are in fact abstractions invented by linguists as a convenient tool to label the subject-matter of their science. Languages, Calvet contends, are social practices that we need to listen to, describe, & understand in the contexts in which they are used.
In this book Louis-Jean Calvet argues that what we call 'languages' are in fact abstractions invented by linguists as a convenient tool to label the s...
