Linguistic Culture and Language Policy (Politics of Language)

Linguistic Culture and Language Policy examines how language policy in three very different nations evolved and how it is not merely the specific embodiment of rule, but rather primarily a social construct that rests on other conceptual elements such as belief systems, attitudes and myths. By scrutinizing the multilingual democracies of India, France and the US, Schiffman examines how language policies are formed within a broader framework and are heavily influenced by the covert and implicit grass-roots of its linguistic culture. By seeing language policy as culture-specific, we understand why language policies evolve, why they work--or not--and how people's lives are affected by them.