Monolingualism-the idea that having just one language is the norm is only a recent invention, dating to late-eighteenth-century Europe. Yet it has become a dominant, if overlooked, structuring principle of modernity. According to this monolingual paradigm, individuals are imagined to be able to think and feel properly only in one language, while multiple languages are seen as a threat to the cohesion of individuals and communities, institutions and disciplines. As a result of this view, writing in anything but one's "mother tongue" has come to be seen as an aberration.

Beyond the Mother Tongue demonstrates the impact of this monolingual paradigm on literature and culture but also charts incipient moves beyond it. Because newer multilingual forms and practices exist in tension with the paradigm, which alternately obscures, pathologizes, or exoticizes them, this book argues that they can best be understood as "postmonolingual" that is, as marked by the continuing force of monolingualism.

Focused on canonical and minority writers working in German in the twentieth century, Beyond the Mother Tongue examines distinct forms of multilingualism, such as writing in one socially unsanctioned "mother tongue" about another language (Franz Kafka); mobilizing words of foreign derivation as part of a multilingual constellation within one language (Theodor W. Adorno); producing an oeuvre in two separate languages simultaneously (Yoko Tawada); writing by literally translating from the "mother tongue" into another language (Emine Sevgi �zdamar); and mixing different languages, codes, and registers within one text (Feridun Zaimoglu). Through these analyses, Beyond the Mother Tongue suggests that the dimensions of gender, kinship, and affect encoded in the "mother tongue" are crucial to the persistence of monolingualism and the challenge of multilingualism
 

Aquest llibre recull diverses propostes dels membres del GELA i d’alguns col•laboradors que en els darrers anys han treballat especialment en l’àmbit de l’acollida i en el paper que hi fa la llengua.

A veces, para los ajenos, la expresión de la cultura vasca se ha podido apreciar teñida de un afán de singularidad y originalidad que ha suscitado opiniones escépticas o de rechazo. Los prejuicios creados durante una época difícil no ayudan, por otra parte, a prescindir de tópicos ni a conocer la construcción de una cultura profundamente enraizada en algo más de dos millones de personas. Este libro ofrece información suficiente sobre los orígenes y extensión de su lengua, el desarrollo de sus artes, su organización e historia política, sus costumbres y modo de vida, para acercarnos sin tópicos a una de las culturas más antiguas de Europa.

The frequent mixing of different languages in early English texts, especially Latin, English and French, has been neglected by historical English linguistics. The contributions in this volume approach this phenomenon within the framework of code-switching theory and, based on a variety of text types from Old to early modern English, show the relevance of these texts for the history of English as well as for historical and general linguistics.

Minority Languages in the Linguistic Landscape provides an innovative approach to the written displays of minority languages in public space. It explores minority language situations through the lens of linguistic landscape research. Based on very tangible data it explores the 'same old issues' of language contact and language conflict in new ways. It deepens our understanding of language policies, power relations and ideologies.

The chapters cover a wide geographic area, ranging from Sámi in the far North, to Basque, Catalan and Corsican in the South. From the town of Dingle on the West coast of Ireland to the cities of Kiev and Chisinau in the East of Europe, including the contrasting cases of Israel and Brunei. Combining theoretical approaches from various disciplines to provide a framework which connects real bottom-up data with more abstract research on minority languages, this book will be useful for researchers and students in applied linguistics, sociolinguistics and policy sciences, as well as for policy makers.
 

Journal writing is not new--journals have been around for centuries. More recently, journals have been viewed as a means of scaffolding reflective teaching and encouraging reflectivity in research processes. As a result, some educators may ask, “What more do we need to know?” Those likely to raise this question are probably not thinking of the explosive growth of reflective writing enabled by social networking on the Web, the blogs and other interactive e-vehicles for reflection on experiences in our literate, “real,” and virtual lives This revisiting of journal writing from a 21st century perspective, informed by relevant earlier literature, is what Christine Pearson Casanave guides readers through in this first book-length treatment of the use of journal writing in the contexts of language learning, pre and in-service teaching, and research.
Casanave has put together existing ideas that haven't been put together before and has done it not as an edited collection, but as a single-authored book. She has done it in a way that will be especially accessible to teachers in language teacher education programs and to practicing teachers and researchers of writing in both second and foreign language settings, and in a way that will inspire all of us to think about, not just do, journal writing.
Those who have never attempted to use journals in their classes and own lives, as well as others who have used it with mixed results, will probably be tempted to try it in at least some of the venues Casanave provides guidance for. Those already committed to journal writing will very likely find in this book new reasons for expanding and enhancing their use of journals.
 

How can teachers make sound pedagogical decisions and advocate for educational policies that best serve the needs of students in today’s diverse classrooms? What is the pedagogical value of providing culturally and linguistically diverse students greater access to their own language and cultural orientations?
This landmark volume responds to the call to attend to the unfinished pedagogical business of the NCTE Conference on College Composition and Communication 1974 Students’ Right to Their Own Language resolution. Chronicling the interplay between legislated/litigated education policies and language and literacy teaching in diverse classrooms, it presents exemplary research-based practices that maximize students' learning by utilizing their home-based cultural, language, and literacy practices to help them meet school expectations.
Pre-service teachers, practicing teachers, and teacher educators need both resources and knowledge, including global perspectives, about language variation in PreK-12 classrooms and hands-on strategies that enable teachers to promote students’ use of their own language in the classroom while also addressing mandated content and performance standards. This book meets that need.
 

This volume presents the very important issue of integrating culture into the second language classroom. Some of its chapters were originally presented at two symposia on culture learning, Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Culture learning in the Second Language Curriculum, held at the University of Minnesota in 1991 and 1994. Other chapters were developed at a third conference, Culture as the Core: Transforming the Language Curriculum. The latter brought scholars and practitioners together to reflect on the earlier theoretical discussions, refine those ideas in light of subsequent theoretical developments, and translate theory into classroom practice.

The contributions to this book concern the documentation and revitalization of endangered languages and the archiving of documented language materials. The anthology focuses mainly on endangered Oceanic languages, with articles on Vanuatu by Darrell Tryon and the Marquesas by Gabriele Cablitz, on situations of loss and gain by Ingjerd Hoëm and on the Kilivila language of the Trobriands by the editor. Nick Thieberger, Peter Wittenburg and Paul Trilsbeek, and David Blundell and colleagues write about aspects of linguistic archiving. Under the rubric of revitalization, Margaret Florey and Michael Ewing write about Maluku, Jakelin Troy and Michael Walsh about Australian Aboriginal languages in southeastern Australia, whilst three articles, by Sophie Nock, Diane Johnson and Winifred Crombie concern the revitalization of Maori.