An Introduction to Multilingualism: Language in a Changing World (Oxford Textbooks in Linguistics) - Softcover

Coulmas, Florian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0198791119 ISBN 13: 9780198791119

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2018

Synopsis

This book offers an introduction to the many facets of multilingualism in a changing world. It begins with an overview of the multiplicity of human languages and their geographic distribution, before moving on to the key question of what multilingualism actually is and what is understood by terms such as 'mother tongue', 'native speaker', and 'speech community'. In the chapters that follow, Florian Coulmas systematically explores multilingualism with respect to the individual, institutions, cities, nations, and cyberspace. In each of these domains, the dynamics of language choice are undergoing changes as a result of economic, political, and cultural forces. Against this background, two chapters discuss the effects of linguistic diversity on the integration and separation of language and society, before a final chapter describes and assesses research methods for investigating multilingualism. Each chapter concludes with problems and questions for discussion, which place the topic in a real-world context.

The book explores where, when, and why multilingualism came to be regarded as a problem, and why it presents a serious challenge for linguistic theory today. It provides the basic tools to analyse different kinds of multilingualism at both the individual and society level, and will be of interest to students of linguistics, sociology, education, and communication studies.

About this title

About the Author

Florian Coulmas is Senior Professor of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Duisberg-Essen University. He has previously held teaching and research positions at Georgetown University, Chuo University Tokyo, and the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics. From 2004 to 2014 he served as Director of the German Institute for Japanese Studies in Tokyo. His publications include The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Writing Systems (Blackwell, 1999), Writing and Society (CUP, 2014), and Guardians of Language (OUP, 2016).

Review

"covers multilingual phenomena with clarity and erudition. The strength of the study is the attention it pays to new concepts such as multiethnolects and subfields of linguistics, such as Internet linguistics, that should prove to be of great use and serve as implications for future research." -- Irina Ustinova, Linguist List

"Diverse in research topics and approaches, overall An Introduction to Multilingualism covers multilingual phenomena with clarity and erudition. The strength of the study is the attention it pays to new concepts such as multiethnolects and subfields of linguistics, such as Internet linguistics, that should prove to be of great use and serve as implications for future research." -- Irina Ustinova, Linguist List

"...Coulmas has given readers an exceptionally well-written, clear and coherent book. It can be fully recommended--not only to students of multilingualism... but also to researchers in the field--as both a good source of references and an inspiration for further research." -- Danuta Gabrys-Barker, Institute of English, University of Silesia, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development

"This is an important book. Timely and engagingly written, with just enough documentation and the right sprinkle of enlightening anecdotes." -- Stefan Dollinger , World Englishes

"This book introduces the concepts, issues, and methodologies of multilingualism; it serves as a good introductory book for undergraduate students who are new to world language systems and novice graduate students who are interested in language use and the multilingual context. It is related to many fields, including language ideology, language policy and planning, internationalization, and language education. It provides various perspectives from the micro individual level to the macro international institute level, from regional phenomenon to international issues, from offline multilingualism to online communication. The book also covers examples from various ethnicities, races, regions, countries, and languages" -- Yi Wang, Linguist List

"A tour de force. The book includes discussions of all the latest trends, such as multilingualism on the internet and urban youth language, and weaves them seamlessly into existing research traditions. It covers a whole gamut of social and individual aspects of the subject with clarity, erudition, and panache. It is a first-class teaching tool, offering relevant discussion points after each chapter. Above all, it is a pleasure to read." --Penelope Gardner-Chloros, Birkbeck, University of London

"Florian Coulmas offers a fresh perspective on multilingualism that sets a new standard for an introductory text on the topic. Its coverage is impressive, with fascinating examples from a wide range of spheres, demonstrating vividly the dynamic nature of the multilingual phenomena. It will attract generations of new researchers to the topic and put them on the right track." --Li Wei, University College London

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 0198791119
• ISBN 13: 9780198791119
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 352