Playing with Languages (Paperback)

Amy L. Paugh

ISBN 10: 1782385169 / ISBN 13: 9781782385165

Published by Berghahn Books, Oxford, 2014

About this Item

Paperback. Over several generations villagers of Dominica have been shifting from Patwa, an Afro-French creole, to English, the official language. Despite government efforts at Patwa revitalization and cultural heritage tourism, rural caregivers and teachers prohibit children from speaking Patwa in their presence. Drawing on detailed ethnographic fieldwork and analysis of video-recorded social interaction in naturalistic home, school, village and urban settings, the study explores this paradox and examines the role of children and their social worlds. It offers much-needed insights into the study of language socialization, language shift and Caribbean children's agency and social lives, contributing to the burgeoning interdisciplinary study of children's cultures. Further, it demonstrates the critical role played by children in the transmission and transformation of linguistic practices, which ultimately may determine the fate of a language. Over several generations villagers of Dominica have been shifting from Patwa, an Afro-French creole, to English, the official language. Despite government efforts at Patwa revitalization and cultural heritage tourism, rural caregivers and teachers prohibit children from speaking Patwa in their presence. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781782385165

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Playing with Languages (Paperback)
• Publisher: Berghahn Books, Oxford
• Publication Date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1782385169
• ISBN 13: 9781782385165
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

Over several generations villagers of Dominica have been shifting from Patwa, an Afro-French creole, to English, the official language. Despite government efforts at Patwa revitalization and cultural heritage tourism, rural caregivers and teachers prohibit children from speaking Patwa in their presence. Drawing on detailed ethnographic fieldwork and analysis of video-recorded social interaction in naturalistic home, school, village and urban settings, the study explores this paradox and examines the role of children and their social worlds. It offers much-needed insights into the study of language socialization, language shift and Caribbean children’s agency and social lives, contributing to the burgeoning interdisciplinary study of children’s cultures. Further, it demonstrates the critical role played by children in the transmission and transformation of linguistic practices, which ultimately may determine the fate of a language.

About the Author

Amy L. Paugh is Associate Professor of Anthropology at James Madison University. Her research investigates language socialization, children’s cultures and language ideologies in the Caribbean and United States.