World Englishes and Culture Wars - (Cambridge Approaches to Language Contact) by Braj B Kachru (Paperback)

Number of Pages: 320
Genre: Language + Art + Disciplines
Sub-Genre: Language Arts
Series Title: Cambridge Approaches to Language Contact
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Age Range: Adult
Book theme: General
Author: Braj B Kachru
Language: English

About the Book

This book is about the contact of English with diverse languages and cultures, and its concurrent indigenization and speciation.

Book Synopsis

Written from a non-Western perspective, this book exposes the inadequacy of oppositions such as native versus non-native Englishes and English versus New Englishes. It explains why the label 'World Englishes' captures both what the different Englishes share and how they differ from each other. It also criticizes the kinds of power asymmetries that have evolved between the Inner, Outer, and Expanding Circles of English, while showing the extent to which the Outer Circle has enriched their common language and made it suitable for both its heritage and non-heritage users. The narrative is grounded in a wealth of historical knowledge, especially that of the colonization of the Outer Circle. Readers are invited to compare the spread and differentiation of English with those of Latin, which evolved into the Romance languages. This comparison may leave the reader asking: could English break up into Anglian languages?

Review Quotes

'A classic collection that enlarges and illuminates a range of key issues relating to culture, literary creativity, linguistic inquiry, multilingualism and the dynamics of Englishes worldwide ... Essential reading for all those interested in the theoretical underpinnings of World Englishes as an academic discipline.' Kingsley Bolton, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

'This consolidated version of Braj B. Kachru's seminal and still relevant research on the postcolonial roles, forms and functions of English will continue to challenge and serve a new generation of students and researchers.' Rajend Mesthrie, University of Cape Town