Language and Poverty

by Harbert, Wayne; McConnell-Ginet, Sally; Miller, Amanda

• ISBN13: 9781847691187
• ISBN10: 1847691188
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-12-09
• Publisher: Multilingual Matters

Summary

This volume explores the complex interactions of language with economic resources. How does poverty affect language survival? How is the economic status of individuals affected by the languages they do or do not speak? The authors address these questions from multiple perspectives, drawing on linguistics, language policy and planning, economics, anthropology, and sociology.

Author Biography

Wayne Harbert is Professor of Linguistics, Cornell University. In addition to his research on the Germanic languages, he teaches Welsh and Scottish Gaelic, as well as courses on minority languages and linguistics.Sally McConnell-Ginet, Professor Emerita of Linguistics at Cornell University, has taught and done research in formal semantics/pragmatics and in language and gender. She is Past President of the Linguistic Society of America.Amanda Miller, Assistant Professor of Linguistics at Cornell University, works on the phonetics and phonology of endangered Southern African Khoesan languages. She undertakes linguistic field work in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.John Whitman, Professor and Chair of Linguistics at Cornell University, works on syntactic variation and language change. His research includes work with endangered minority languages of Japan (Ryûkyûan), Korea (Kyeongsang-do dialect), and the Peopleâ??s Republic of China (Tibetan, Bai).

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Introduction - Wayne Harbert, Sally McConnell-Ginet, Amanda Miller and John Whitman.

Section I: Poverty as a Factor in Language Maintenance and Language Death

Chapter 2. Poverty as a Factor in Language Maintenance and Language Death: Some Case Studies from Africa - Herman Batibo

Chapter 3. Language Diversity and Poverty in Africa - Matthias Brenzinger.

Section II: Language as a Determinant of Access to Resources

Chapter 4. The Impact of the Hegemony of English on Access to and Quality of Education with Special Reference to South Africa - Neville Alexander.

Chapter 5. Econolinguistics in the USA - John Baugh

Chapter 6. Where in the World is US Spanish? - Ofelia Garcia and Leah Mason

Chapter 7. Perpetuating Inequality: Language Disadvantage and Capability Deprivation of Tribal Mother Tongue Speakers in India - Ajit Mohanty

Section III: Language and Poverty: A Cross-disciplinary Perspective

Chapter 8. Biodiversity, Linguistic Diversity and Poverty: Some Global Patterns and Missing Links - Suzanne Romaine

Chapter 9. Language and Poverty: Measurement, Determinants and Policy Responses - François Vaillancourt

Chapter 10. Losing their Names: Native Languages, Identity and the State - Peter Whiteley

Section IV: Language, Poverty and the Role of the Linguist

Chapter 11. The Role of the Linguist in Language Maintenance and Revitalization: Documentation, Training and Materials Development - Lenore Grenoble, Keren Rice, and Norvin Richards

Chapter 12. Preserving Digital Language Materials: Some Considerations - Helen Aristar-Dry

Conclusion