Book Review

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Forwarded from Linguist List,

Language Policies in Education: Critical Issues

Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates http://www.erlbaum.com/ 2002


Editor: James W. Tollefson


How do language policies in education serve the interests of dominant
groups within societies? How do policies marginalize some students while
granting privilege to others? How do language policies in schools create
inequalities among learners? How can schools further the educational,
social, and economic interests of linguistic minorities?

These questions--the focus of the chapters in this book-- are at the heart
of fundamental debates about the role of schools in society; the links
between language policies and inequalities of class, region, and
ethnicity/nationality; and conflicts between linguistic minorities and
"mainstream" populations. The connections between language policies and
inequality are examined, as well as successful efforts to use language
policies in education to assert the social and linguistic rights of
language minorities.

*All of the chapters are original and substantial contributions to the
study of language policy and exemplify major theories and research methods
in the field.

*The case studies are international in scope, including cutting-edge
analyses of important language policy debates in North America, Australia,
Eastern Europe, Africa, East Asia, South Asia, and the Pacific.

*The multiple meanings of critical language policy study are highlighted.
First, the term refers to the field of critical linguistics. Second, the
book seeks to develop readers' ability to critically "read" language
policies--that is, to understand the social and political implications of
particular policies adopted in specific historical contexts. Third, it
features chapters that are critical of traditional analyses that fail to
capture the full social and political context of language policies and too
often accept uncritically the claims of policy.

*Sections are included on theoretical issues in language policies; the use
of language policy for governance; the role of language policy in managing
ethnic conflict; the link between language and globalization; and the
impact of critical pedagogy on social change.

This volume is intended for scholars and other specialists in language
policy, education, applied linguistics, critical linguistics, and language
teaching. It is designed for use as a textbook in graduate and advanced
undergraduate courses on language policy and language education.


Hardback: ISBN: 0805836004 Pages: 360 Price: U.S. $ 99.95
Paperback: ISBN: 0805836012 Pages: 360 Price: U.S. $ 39.95