Languages in a Globalising World

Description

The fate of languages has been closely linked to political power relationships throughout human history. Political shifts in the international system today continue to affect linguistic patterns, still in a state of flux following the end of the Cold War. This book considers the effects of present-day trends in global politics on the relative status of languages, and the directions in which the linguistic hierarchy might develop in the future. It appeals to researchers and students of sociolinguistics and language planning as well as of international relations.

Michael A. Morris is Professor of Political Science at Clemson University where he holds a joint appointment as Professor of Languages. Dr Morris has published extensively on naval and maritime affairs as well as language politics. This includes four books of sole authorship, editorship of eight books and journal issues, and author of seven monographs and over fifty books and journal articles. Jacques Maurais is currently with the Conseil de la langue francaise in Quebec City. He has edited various works on sociolinguistics and language planning and is the author of more than one hundred specialised articles and chapters in books on language planning, sociolinguistics, and terminology as well as some monographs.

'... with its interdisciplinary approach it will appeal to researchers and students of sociolinguistics and language planning as well as of international relations.' The Linguist List '... this book offers a valuable resource for the systematic study of language globalisation and the international challenges and issues it raises. Due to the scope of its coverage and the high quality of the discussion, this is a book that we simply cannot afford not having on our shelves if we are interested in any aspect of contemporary language changes ...'. Journal of Sociolinguistics