Languages in America : a pluralist view
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Languages in America : a pluralist view
（Bilingual education and bilingualism / series editors, Colin Baker and Nancy Hornberger, 42）
Multilingual Matters, c2003
2nd ed
- : hbk
- : pbk
Available at / 30 libraries
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Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. 323-347) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
The United States is and has always been an immigrant country. However, it has always demonstrated a marked ambivalence towards newcomers. In some circumstances, they are seen as welcomed contributors to a multifaceted society; in others they are viewed as interlopers usurping depleting resources which should be going to the country's citizens. A major part of this ongoing debate centers on the languages which immigrants bring with them. For some, these new languages add to the country's diversity; for others the new languages are seen as an inherent threat to English and the American way of life.
Languages in America: A Pluralist View is a vigorous response to this perspective by a sociolinguist and professor, Susan J. Dicker. Drawing on knowledge from the fields of linguistics, history and sociology, Dicker presents a cogent argument for language diversity in the United States. She explores the role language plays in personal and public identity. She debunks the mythology of America as a melting pot. She tackles common misconceptions about second-language learning, reveals the nativist roots of the official-English movement, and describes how other countries nurture language pluralism. Finally, Dicker asks her readers to imagine America as an open, pluralistic society in which language diversity plays an important part.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1 Language and Identity
2 The Melting-Pot Mythology
3 Common Misconceptions About Language Learning
4 Languages in the Schools
5 The Modern Official-English Movement
6 Challenges to Language Restrictionism
7 Lessons in Multilingualism Beyond the United States
8 The Possibilities of a Pluralistic, Multilingual America
Epilogue
References
Index
by "Nielsen BookData"
