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Showing posts with label english. Show all posts
Showing posts with label english. Show all posts
Things That Make Us (Sic): The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar Takes on Madison Avenue, Hollywood, the White House, and the World Review
The Language Revolution (Themes for the 21st Century) Review
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The Language Revolution (Themes for the 21st Century) ReviewDouglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series is often touted as a trilogy in five parts. Linguist David Crystal has also written a supernumerary trilogy. In the first book of the trilogy, "English as a Global Language" (1997), Crystal discusses the rise of English as a universal language and implications for the future. The second book, "Language Death" (2000), stands in antithesis to the first, and considers the implications involved when speech communities give up their heritage languages in preference for languages of wider venue. In the third book of the trilogy, "Language and the Internet" (2001), Crystal considers how computer-assisted communication (email, instant messaging, and so on) is changing the way language is used. Now Crystal has written a fourth book, which summarizes the themes of the first three books and ties them together.English is rapidly becoming a world language. Approximately a quarter of the world's population can communicate in English, and among those only about a quarter are native speakers of the language. This means that English no longer "belongs" to the English speaking countries, but rather to the world at large. No doubt the language will be greatly influenced by the cultures of these new English speakers. However, as Crystal points out, English has always been a "vacuum cleaner of a language" (p. 27), absorbing new vocabulary and even syntax from the other languages it has come into contact with. Thus, while English will continue to expand in its role as the global language, it will also change drastically.
Crystal also considers the possibility that English will splinter into mutually unintelligible languages as Vulgar Latin split into the Romance languages a millennium and a half ago. In addition to the traditional division into British and American dialects of English, the last decades of the twentieth century has also seen the rise of non-native dialects of English, such as Singapore English, Japanese English, and so on. Crystal believes that dialects arise because speech communities use linguistic distinctiveness as badges of group identity. However, it is more likely that the direction of causality is in reverse; that is, dialects arise because of relative isolation, and these dialects become distinguishing features of the people who use them.
Languages, like species, arise, flourish, decay and become extinct, and this is a process that has been going on since the beginning. However, it is predicted that about half of the world's six thousand languages will become extinct during the twenty-first century, due mainly to the fact that the world is becoming more unified. To participate in the new global marketplace, people need to speak English, and they may see little benefit in passing their heritage language on to their children. Crystal views language death as on par with species extinction, describing the loss of linguistic diversity as "cataclysmic" (p. 47), "language extinction on a massive and unprecedented scale" (p. 50), and a "crisis in linguistic ecology" (p. 117).
However, Crystal's alarmist attitude is unwarranted. Neither genocide nor oppressive language policies is behind the current trend toward language extinction. Rather, it is a grass-roots movement toward global linguistic unification. Indeed, his call for active government in revitalizing endangered languages will likely be perceived by many as a coercive policy to exclude minorities from engagement in the larger society. Generally, languages do not die because their speakers die; rather, they die because their speakers no longer teach them to their children. Thus, attempts at endangered-language revitalization amount to nothing more than vain attempts to stem the inexorable forces of change.
Crystal moves on to discuss how computers have impacted language use. Computer-assisted communication has brought on the third revolution in the history of language. The first revolution was the invention of spoken language at least fifty thousand years ago; this new ability to communicate (even to think) led to an explosion of cultural and technological advances. The second revolution was the invention of writing about five thousand years ago. The ability to record language allowed humans to accumulate knowledge and transmit it across both space and time, and this has led to an even greater cultural and technological progress. The third revolution is computer-assisted communication, which is molding a new mode of language that is neither speech nor writing but rather something altogether new. The ability to access and transmit information immediately anywhere in the world is already having a significant impact on society.
These three topics are tied together with the observation that language change is inevitable. Although purists lament the deterioration of the language, Crystal notes than language change is always innovative and expansive, not deleterious. When languages borrow or invent new words, they do not replace the traditional lexicon. Rather, they find a place alongside the existing vocabulary, enabling speakers to express new meanings and nuances. Crystal is to be applauded for his progressive outlook toward language change. However, one wishes that he would understand language extinction as part of this same unavoidable process of language change.
Finally, Crystal's comments on bilingualism are enlightening. He points out that over half of the world's population is at least bilingual. Furthermore, he notes that there seems to be no limit to the number of languages that children can learn if they are exposed to them early enough. Indeed, Crystal sees a future where bilingualism is the norm; that is, people would speak their heritage language at home and locally, while communicating in some form of world English internationally.
Those who have already read the first three books in the trilogy will find nothing new in the fourth book. On the other hand, the "The Language Revolution" provides a nice summary of Crystal's major concern, namely the status of language in the twenty-first century. He neatly summarizes the issues concerning the rise of global English, the disappearance of indigenous languages and the effect of new technology on how language is used. This little book gives plenty to think about for anyone concerned with these issues.The Language Revolution (Themes for the 21st Century) OverviewWe are living through the consequences of a linguistic revolution. Dramatic linguistic change has left us at the beginning of a new era in the evolution of human language, with repercussions for many individual languages.In this book, David Crystal, one of the world's authorities on language, brings together for the first time the three major trends which he argues have fundamentally altered the world's linguistic ecology: first, the emergence of English as the world's first truly global language; second, the crisis facing huge numbers of languages which are currently endangered or dying; and, third, the radical effect on language of the arrival of Internet technology.Examining the interrelationships between these topics, Crystal encounters a vision of a linguistic future which is radically different from what has existed in the past, and which will make us revise many cherished concepts relating to the way we think about and work with languages. Everyone is affected by this linguistic revolution.The Language Revolution will be essential reading for anyone interested in language and communication in the twenty-first century.
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English Corpus Linguistics: An Introduction (Studies in English Language) Review
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English Corpus Linguistics: An Introduction (Studies in English Language) ReviewEnglish Corpus Linguistics: An Introduction is a must read for anyone wanting to secure a first foothold of understanding in the field. I think it would also provide a good overview for experienced corpus linguists. The book is extremely well written. There is no fluff but the text is very readable and open to anyone with an interest. The author is consistent in his prose and does a good job of balancing practical and theoretical concerns. He doesn't waste the reader's time with trifles, but makes a good entry into each well-defined subject area, provides you with a content that presents itself without considerable prerequisites of knowledge, and makes a clean exit with an apt conclusion to each chapter. The material builds on itself but is also spread out - but not to thin to loose perspective - so as not to topple the reader. I think the only thing that I might have added would have been a summary checklist with cross-reference back to individual sections. However, with 141 reading pages, it is concise enough to do a quick review by flipping through the various sections. This is important, because there is much information to take from this book as one furthers their learning.English Corpus Linguistics: An Introduction (Studies in English Language) OverviewThis step-by-step guide to creating and analyzing linguistic corpora discusses the role that corpus linguistics plays in linguistic theory. It demonstrates that corpora have proven to be very useful resources for linguists who believe that their theories and descriptions of English should be based on real rather than contrived data. The author shows how to collect and computerize data for inclusion in a corpus and how to annotate and conduct a linguistic analysis once the corpus has been created.Want to learn more information about English Corpus Linguistics: An Introduction (Studies in English Language)?
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English Grammar Instruction That Works: Developing Language Skills for All Learners Review
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English Grammar Instruction That Works: Developing Language Skills for All Learners ReviewWOW! English Grammar Instruction That Works: Developing Language Skills for All Learners is a breath of fresh air given to the old, musty methods of teaching grammar in the hallowed halls of academia.This book helps put the thought of "teaching in isolation" to rest! It gives relevance to language and helps students and teachers realize the practical reasons for learning grammar while understanding the history of language. Chapter 7 particularly brings "A world of understanding" to grammar!
Giving students the background knowledge necessary for connecting the history of grammar to relevant, real world learning, makes the process practical and meaningful for all children.English Grammar Instruction That Works: Developing Language Skills for All Learners OverviewOffering a fun, engaging approach to grammar instruction, this guide includes clear explanations of grammatical terms and practical activities for all students, including English language learners.
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Eyes Before Ease: The Unsolved Mysteries and Secret Histories of Spelling Review
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Eyes Before Ease: The Unsolved Mysteries and Secret Histories of Spelling ReviewI actually liked this better than Eats, Shoots, and Leaves--that author's snarky British tone didn't work for me, and her book's filled with mistakes. Beeson knows his subject inside and out, and if you love writing, and words, and their meaning, you'll highly enjoy this book. I've read just about every book out there like this, and Beeson has come up with some fresh, fascinating observations. His new rules for proper spelling are smart and practical. I learned quite a bit from this book, and I didn't think I would.Eyes Before Ease: The Unsolved Mysteries and Secret Histories of Spelling OverviewIs spelling still important in the age of spellcheckers? Ask Dan Quayle
Part guide to better spelling, part paean to an endangered art, Eyes Before Ease is filled with fascinating trivia, historical asides, astute personal observations, and good-natured humor about why spelling is still important--even with the advent of spellcheckers. Professor Larry Beason argues that spelling is more than just the correct arrangement of letters--it sheds light on the human experience itself. It lets us communicate with other people, it indicates (right or wrong) our intelligence, and also brings us together as a community.
Beason also explains why our particular spelling system is so difficult, how to become a better speller, and why you should never trust a cyborg for the correct spelling of a homophone.
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Your Own Words: The Bestselling Author of Word Court Explains How to Decipher Decipher the Dictionary, Master the Usage Manual, and Be Your Own Language Expert Review
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Your Own Words: The Bestselling Author of Word Court Explains How to Decipher Decipher the Dictionary, Master the Usage Manual, and Be Your Own Language Expert ReviewFor a serious writer or editor, this is an essential book. I keep it close by my dictionary, thesaurus, Chicago Manual, Garner, and Fowler's (the 2nd edition, of course, not the awful 3rd). Your Own Words is, as another reviewer aptly noted, a meta-reference, the one that allows me to find my way around the others and answer grammar and usage questions for myself. (I never, for instance, would have thought of using Google News as a usage guide.) The many selections from Wallraff's Atlantic Monthly column are a welcome bonus.Your Own Words: The Bestselling Author of Word Court Explains How to Decipher Decipher the Dictionary, Master the Usage Manual, and Be Your Own Language Expert OverviewWant to learn more information about Your Own Words: The Bestselling Author of Word Court Explains How to Decipher Decipher the Dictionary, Master the Usage Manual, and Be Your Own Language Expert?
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Strictly English: The Correct Way to Write . . . And Why It Matters Review
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Strictly English: The Correct Way to Write . . . And Why It Matters ReviewSimon Heffer has written a book that everyone who speaks and writes English ought to read, if not to improve his facility with the language, to enjoy the wit and charm of the book. This is an instruction book that does not read like one. He first tells us what the rules are, and then explains the purpose of those rules as well as the right and wrong ways of applying them. For example, he wrote: "Punctuation is not merely for the ease of reading, but also for the ease of comprehension and the avoidance of ambiguity. If used correctly, it shows the reader how clauses in a sentence relate to each other; how sentences are delineated; and how an argument or exposition is broken up into paragraphs." (p.31) and that grammar "is a question of logic, and if regarded as such it will, all but the most resolutely illogical minds, become second nature in anyone's use of English. Grammar is designed to keep our language comprehensible and free from ambiguity." (p.45)He has a chapter on the use of the wrong word (in which he points out the result of dishonesty in the use of the wrong word) and another on the wrong tone. The highlight of the book may be his chapter on "The Essence of Good Style", but I enjoyed the two chapters that that was wittily placed between - "Three Sinners" (state officials, academics, and lawyers and their verbose and obscure style of writing) and "Three Saints (George Orwell, Barbara Pym, and Enoch Powell). Every one of the 309 pages in this book is a joy to read.Strictly English: The Correct Way to Write . . . And Why It Matters OverviewSimon Heffer's incisive and amusingly despairing emails to colleagues at the Telegraph about grammatical mistakes and stylistic slips have attracted a growing band of ardent fans over recent years. Now, he makes an impassioned case for correct English and offers practical advice on how to avoid the solecisms and mangled sentences that increasingly pepper everyday speech and writing. If you have ever been guilty of writing "different than," if you have ever tortured the language by saying "Thank you for asking my friend and I," if you have ever confused "imply" and "infer," then this book will prove essential reading. It will also reassuringly show you that accuracy and clarity need not be the preserve of an elite-they are within the grasp of anyone who is prepared to take the time to master a few simple rules.
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Language Teacher Supervision: A Case-Based Approach (Cambridge Language Teaching Library) Review
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Language Teacher Supervision: A Case-Based Approach (Cambridge Language Teaching Library) ReviewThis book is very comprehensive and offers lots of practical advice. Its nice in that it also provides readers with some theoretical background. A worthwhile buy!Language Teacher Supervision: A Case-Based Approach (Cambridge Language Teaching Library) OverviewLanguage Teacher Supervision illuminates an under-explored area of the language teaching profession. Using case studies of actual teaching situations, the book explores such issues as teacher evaluation, autonomy, authority and awareness and attitude.It contains a wealth of practical detail on gathering data and providing feedback in post-observation conferences with teachers. A variety of cases, together with a comprehensive review of the literature, offers valuable insights into the dynamic, interactive process of language teacher supervision.Follow-up discussion questions, development tasks, and suggestions for further reading afford avenues for further exploration.Want to learn more information about Language Teacher Supervision: A Case-Based Approach (Cambridge Language Teaching Library)?
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