I was fortunate to have the opportunity to review this book before publication. It is an excellent, detailed look at the everyday family and community dynamics that have led to language shift in Dominica, based on the author's extensive fieldwork there. She describes how children in the community have continued to socialize each other in the heritage language during their play sessions, despite the fact that their parents refuse to speak the language to them and even reprimand them for speaking it. I'd highly recommend the book to anybody who might be interested.<div>
<br></div><div>Danny<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Oct 9, 2012 at 3:49 PM, Anna Luisa Daigneault <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:annaluisa@livingtongues.org" target="_blank">annaluisa@livingtongues.org</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Dear ILAT members,<br>A new book just came out about language shift among children in the Caribbean, see below.<br>You can contact Abigail Major for more information,<br>
all the best,<br>Anna Luisa<br><br><br>On Tue, Oct 9, 2012 at 2:28 PM, Abigail Major <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:abigail.major@berghahnbooks.com" target="_blank">abigail.major@berghahnbooks.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dear Anna,<br></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> We are proud to announce the recent publication of <b>Playing with Languages: Children and Change in a Caribbean Village</b>, by Amy L. Paugh. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Over
several generations, villagers of Dominica have been shifting from
Patwa, an Afro-French creole, to English, the official language. Despite
government efforts at Patwa revitalization and cultural heritage
tourism, rural caregivers and teachers prohibit children from speaking
Patwa in their presence. Drawing on detailed ethnographic fieldwork and
analysis of video-recorded social interaction in naturalistic home,
school, village, and urban settings, the study explores this paradox and
examines the role of children and their social worlds. It offers
much-needed insights into the study of language socialization, language
shift, and Caribbean children’s agency and social lives, contributing to
the burgeoning interdisciplinary study of children’s cultures. Further,
it demonstrates the critical role played by children in the
transmission and transformation of linguistic practices, which
ultimately may determine the fate of a language.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Additional information is available here: <a href="http://www.berghahnbooks.com/title.php?rowtag=PaughPlaying" target="_blank">http://www.berghahnbooks.com/title.php?rowtag=PaughPlaying</a>. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">If you
would be interested, I could provide some copy for an announcement and
would also be happy to provide a special discount to your members.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">All best,</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Abigail Major<br>Marketing Associate</p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Berghahn Books, Inc.<i><br></i>20 Jay Street, Suite 512</p><p class="MsoNormal">Brooklyn, NY 11201<br>p: <a href="tel:212-233-6004" value="+12122336004" target="_blank">212-233-6004</a> f: <a href="tel:212-233-6004" value="+12122336004" target="_blank">212-233-6004</a></p>
<br>Visit us on the web: <a href="http://www.berghahnbooks.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">www.berghahnbooks.com</span></a> <br><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><b><font color="#888888">Anna Luisa Daigneault, M.Sc</font></b><br>
<font color="#888888">Latin America Projects Coordinator </font><font color="#888888"><span>|</span> Coordinadora de proyectos latinoamericanos<br></font><span style="color:rgb(153,153,153)"><a href="http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/enduring-voices/" target="_blank">Enduring Voices Project | Voces Duraderas</a><br>
<a href="http://www.livingtongues.org/" target="_blank">Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages</a><br>Twitter: @livingtongues<br><br>Archivo Digital de la Memoria Yanesha | Arr Añño'tena Poeñotenaxhno Yanesha<br>
<a href="http://www.yanesha.com" target="_blank">www.yanesha.com</a></span><font color="#888888"><br><br><br></font><br>
</font></span></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div><br></div>Omnis habet sua dona dies.<br> ~ Martial<br>
</div>