Language and Power: Basic Concepts

Language and Power: Basic Concepts introduces readers to foundational ideas about language and power through a collection of thought-provoking articles. The purpose of the book is to inform, but also to encourage readers to formulate their own ideas about language and power in various contexts. Using the concepts and terms provided in the text, readers are encouraged to evaluate and respond to the readings, and apply their analytic skills to related issues of today.

The examples in the anthology present social, political, and historical situations in which language affects the power status of groups and individuals. The readings focus on various topics, including historical United States experiences, United States attitudes to diversity, global English, post-colonial language decisions in Africa, Standard English, AAVE (African American Vernacular English), and rap music.

Language and Power is intended to serve as an introductory text for college students at all levels and assumes the reader has minimal background knowledge on the topics which are presented. Designed to demonstrate the interplay between language, power, diversity, and unity, the book is an excellent resource for courses and programs in linguistics and communication. Because the readings cover many areas of social significance, it may also be of interest to general readers.

Gail August is a professor in the Department of Language and Cognition at Hostos Community College, CUNY. She holds a Ph.D. in linguistics from The Graduate Center, CUNY, where she specialized in bilingualism, second language acquisition, and the science of reading.