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Book Cover
Book
Author Mühlhäusler, Peter.

Title Linguistic ecology : language change and linguistic imperialism in the Pacific region / Peter Mühlhäusler
Published London ; New York : Routledge, 1996

Copies

Location Call no. Vol. Availability
 W'PONDS  306.4409164 Muh/Lel  AVAILABLE
Description 396 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
Series Politics of language
Politics of language.
Contents 1. The changing linguistic ecology of the Pacific region -- 2. Language ecology in pre-European days -- 3. Disruptions in the linguistic ecology -- 4. Pidgins and creoles -- 5. Case studies -- 6. Mission languages and language policies -- 7. Official policies and language planning -- 8. The impact of literacy -- 9. The impact of foreign language teaching -- 10. The sociolinguistics of language shift, decay and death -- 11. Assessing the damage: structural and lexical effects -- 12. Preserving linguistic diversity: outlook and prospects -- Appendix: Linguistics in the Pacific
Summary "In Linguistic Ecology, Peter Muhlhausler examines the transformation of the Pacific language region under the impact of colonization, Westernization and modernization. By focusing on the linguistic and sociohistorical changes of the past 200 years, he brings a new dimension to the study of Pacific linguistics, which up until now has been dominated by questions of historical reconstruction and language typology." "In contrast to the traditional portrayal of linguistic change as a natural process, Muhlhausler focuses on the cultural and historical forces which drive language change. Using the metaphor of language ecology to explain and describe the complex interplay between languages, speakers and social practice, Muhlhausler looks at how language ecologies have functioned in the past to sustain language diversity, and at what happens when those ecologies are disrupted." "Whilst most of the examples used in the book are taken from the Pacific and Australian region, the insights derived from this area are shown to have global applications."--BOOK JACKET
Notes Includes index
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 348-376) and index
Subject Language and culture -- Pacific Area.
Language and languages -- Political aspects -- Pacific Area.
Language policy -- Pacific Area.
Linguistic change -- Pacific Area.
Linguistic change.
Linguistics -- Pacific Area.
Sociolinguistics -- Pacific Area.
SUBJECT Pacific Area http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85096445 -- Languages. http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh2002006384
LC no. 00001221
ISBN 0415056357
0415056365 paperback
9780415056359
9780415056366 paperback