Language and Culture

by Kramsch, Claire; Widdowson, H. G.

• ISBN13: 9780194372145
• ISBN10: 0194372146
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1998-12-10
• Publisher: OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Summary

This series provides brief, clear introductions to the main disciplinary areas of language study. This book offers an accessible survey of key language concepts such as social context and cultural authenticity, using insights from fields including linguistics, sociology, and anthropology.

Table of Contents

Preface	vii
SECTION I Survey	1	(84)
The relationship of language and culture
Nature, culture, language	4	(2)
Communities of language users	6	(2)
Imagined communities	8	(1)
Insiders/outsiders	8	(3)
Linguistic relativity	11	(1)
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis	11	(3)
Summary	14	(1)
Meaning as sign
The linguistic signs	15	(1)
The meaning of signs	16	(1)
Cultural encodings	17	(2)
Semantic cohesion	19	(1)
The non-arbitrary nature of signs	20	(1)
Symbols	21	(2)
Summary	23	(2)
Meaning as action
Context of situation, context of culture	25	(1)
Structures of expectation	26	(1)
Contextualization cues, situated inferences	27	(1)
Pragmatic coherence	28	(3)
The co-operative principle	31	(1)
Participants' roles and the co-construction of culture	32	(3)
Summary	35	(2)
Spoken language, oral culture
Speech and writing	37	(4)
Indicating status	41	(1)
Social positionings	42	(4)
Protecting face	46	(1)
Conversational style	47	(2)
Narrative style	49	(2)
Summary	51	(2)
Print language, literate culture
Written language, textual culture	53	(1)
Print and power	54	(1)
Social construction of literacy	55	(2)
Text and discourse	57	(3)
Literacy event, prior text, point of view	60	(2)
Genre	62	(2)
Summary	64	(1)
Language and cultural identity
Cultural identity	65	(2)
Cultural stereotypes	67	(3)
Language crossing as act of identity	70	(2)
Linguistic nationism	72	(2)
Standard language, cultural totem	74	(2)
Linguistic and cultural imperialism	76	(1)
Summary	77	(2)
Current issues
Who is a native speaker?	79	(1)
Cultural authenticity	80	(1)
Cross-cultural, intercultural, multicultural	81	(1)
The politics of recognition	82	(3)
SECTION 2 Readings	85	(30)
SECTION 3 References	115	(10)
SECTION 4 Glossary	125