Languages in America : a pluralist view / Susan J. Dicker.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Dicker, Susan J.

Series:

Bilingual education and bilingualism ; 42.

Bilingual education and bilingualism ; 42

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Multilingualism--United States.

Multilingualism.

Cultural pluralism--United States.

Cultural pluralism.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (379 p.)

Edition:

2nd ed.

Place of Publication:

Clevedon ; Buffalo : Multilingual Matters, c2003.

Language Note:

English

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Language and identity

The melting-pot mythology

Common misconceptions about language learning

Languages in the schools

The modern official-English movement

Challenges to language restrictionism

Lessons in multilingualism beyond the United States

The possibilities of a pluralistic, multilingual America.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 323-347) and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9786610828227

9781280828225

1280828226

9781853596537

1853596531

OCLC:

475918475