Whose Language Is English?

Synopsis

An exhilarating new account of the English language, from British colonialism to the age of social media, emphasizing dynamism and democratization Whose language is English? Although we often think of it as native to one place, today there are many Englishes. About seventy-five countries are now using English as their official or first language, and the number of people speaking it around the world continues to rise. But the makeup of the English-speaking population is changing. The proportion of speakers for whom English is a first language, for instance, is decreasing, due to the explosion in popularity of English as a second language. In this ambitious book, Jieun Kiaer explores the lives of English words in the twenty-first century, when the creation and use of language has become an increasingly dynamic, interactive, and diverse process in which ordinary people have taken leading roles—offering such coinages as “flexitarian,” “MeToo,” “glow up,” and “shitizen” to “No sabo kids” and beyond. As English language grows ever more diverse, Kiaer believes, we need a paradigm shift. We must acknowledge that all varieties of English are languages in their own right when they are used by a community of speakers. English is a language that belongs to everyone. Considering the effects of social media, the Covid-19 pandemic, virtual work, globalization, and artificial intelligence, Kiaer paints a compelling portrait of a diffuse, rapidly evolving language characterized by creativity and democratization.

Copyright:

2024

Book Details

Book Quality:

Publisher Quality

Book Size:

264 Pages

ISBN-13:

9780300280449

Related ISBNs:

9780300264050

Publisher:

Yale University Press

Date of Addition:

09/17/24

Copyrighted By:

Yale University

Adult content:

No

Language:

English

Has Image Descriptions:

No

Categories:

History, Nonfiction, Social Studies, Language Arts, Sociology

Submitted By:

Bookshare Staff

Usage Restrictions:

This is a copyrighted book.