Language and Society in Japan

Description

Language and Society in Japan deals with issues important to an understanding of language in Japan today, among them multilingualism, language and nationalism, and literacy and reading habits. It is organised around the theme of language and identity, in particular how language is used to construct national, international and personal identities. Contrary to popular stereotypes, Japanese is far from the only language used in Japan, and does not function in a vacuum, but comes with its own particular cultural implications. Language has played an important role in Japan's cultural and foreign policies, and language issues are intimately connected both with technological advance and with minority group experiences. Nanette Gottlieb is a leading authority in this field. This book builds on and develops her previous work, and promises to be essential reading for students, scholars, and all those wishing to understand the role played by language in Japanese society.

Nanette Gottlieb is Reader in Japanese at the University of Queensland. Her previous publications include Word Processing Technology in Japan (2000) and Japanese Cybercultures (2003).

'Nanette Gottlieb's latest book, Language and Society in Japan, continues a high standard of inquiry into Japanese language issues ... there is no better chronicler in English of Japanese language policy ... Gottleib's observations on the teaching of Japanese and of English as a foreign language are especially timely ... makes an important distinction between linguistic stereotyping and discriminatory language ...Gottleib's discussion of this and other issues in this book provides sufficient information for the reader to speculate right along with her about the linguistic future of Japan.' Monumenta Nipponica