24.2856, Review: Anthropological Linguistics; Applied Linguistics; Sociolinguistics: Doerr (2009)

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LINGUIST List: Vol-24-2856. Sat Jul 13 2013. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 24.2856, Review: Anthropological Linguistics; Applied Linguistics; Sociolinguistics: Doerr (2009)

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Reviews: Veronika Drake, U of Wisconsin Madison
Monica Macaulay, U of Wisconsin Madison
Rajiv Rao, U of Wisconsin Madison
Joseph Salmons, U of Wisconsin Madison
Mateja Schuck, U of Wisconsin Madison
Anja Wanner, U of Wisconsin Madison
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Date: Sat, 13 Jul 2013 13:02:51
From: Ayaz Abdullah [ayyaz_abdullah at hotmail.com]
Subject: The Native Speaker Concept

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Book announced at http://linguistlist.org/issues/21/21-47.html

EDITOR: Neriko Musha Doerr
TITLE: The Native Speaker Concept
SUBTITLE: Ethnographic Investigations of Native Speaker Effects
SERIES TITLE: Language, Power and Social Process [LPSP] 26
PUBLISHER: De Gruyter Mouton
YEAR: 2009

REVIEWER: Ayaz Abdullah, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore

SUMMARY

The book under review is divided into five parts. Part I is a general
introduction to the book, which presents background of general theories and
common constructs. There are two chapters in this part; the chapter by Neriko
Doerr introduces the “native speaker” concept as a “language ideology” (pp. 15
and 47) and later examines it by talking about a few related ideologies. The
chapter by Robert Trains traces the development of the ideology of
“standardization” (p. 49) through an in-depth look at data from the history of
Latin’s codification since the times of the Roman Empire.

The chapters in Part II focus on the involvement of “nation-states” in
language policies. This part also discusses the responses of people on
“personal levels”, because they relate to the idea of the “native speaker”.
Authors such as Michiyo Takato and Yuku Okubo discuss the importance of
“native speaker” from the perspective of common speakers in certain milieu.
The authors in these chapters comment on and evaluate the system and
significance of language policies, power and authority, and a number of
socio-cultural phenomena which heavily motivate linguists to mull over
language policies. The readers are also informed of the theoretical
shortcomings of certain language theories which speak about language planning,
politics, etc.

Part III deals mainly with language standardization processes in a number of
environments and conditions. It also talks about how these language
standardization processes affect the understanding of people regarding
“native” and “non-native” speakers. Victoria J. Baker, the leading author in
this part, discusses standardization impulses in specific institutions. The
author, who conducted fieldwork in South Africa, discusses the use of language
policies in a broader sense, as well as in certain language classes and
communities at the school level and in highly paid jobs in the city. According
to the information given by the author, there are hybrid languages spoken by
speakers of that particular city in South Africa. Baker discusses a lot of
issues faced by parents and language teachers. On a related note, Doerr says
“Parents and teachers support “mother tongue education” as part of respecting
one’s heritage and appreciating acceptance of code-switching at school for the
sake of communicability” (p. 135). Respecting one’s heritage has become a
widely accepted notion among the speakers of hybrid languages. Later, the
author opines that the overall structure of employment opportunities mainly
requires speakers to be competent in the use of standardized languages -
mainly English - which is namely based on the notion that language is
homogenous. The also author speaks about standardization issues faced by
critics and language planners. In a nutshell, Baker, in this context, opines
that parents in certain South African townships are ambivalent about the use
of hybrid heritage languages or Standard English. As such, parents are
challenged to decide which language to use in different contexts.

The chapter by Susan E. Frekko, with its intensive matrix of constructs,
explains standardization impulses of the Catalan autonomous government. Based
on her fieldwork and ethnographic analyses in Spain, she believes that the
Catalan autonomous government has decided on a set standard of “correctness”
in fostering the return of Catalan to the public sphere. The Catalan
government’s plan to encourage the people to use the “correct” form of
language may be somewhat critical in the eyes of language planners. In the
words of Doerr, “Frekko illustrates how some “native” Catalan speakers with
limited experience in educational institutions have to struggle to come to
terms with their marginalization due to a gap between their Catalan speech
learned in daily life and the normative Catalan taught mainly in educational
settings” (p. 135). Moreover, Frekko explains that here, “native speakers” who
mainly talk in a “non-standard” variety seek to be standardized for government
employment, also learning their “native language” side by side with middle
class “non-native speakers” and “often being marginalized in relation to them”
(p. 135).

Later in this part, the chapter by Doerr compares, by highlighting several
specific differences, standardization impulses, which were once planned but
not worked on, in the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom in the
United States of America to that of daily life in Japan. Doerr suggests, after
a lot of debate on certain language standardization issues, the existence of
another native speaker ideology that assumes homogeneity of non-native
speakers of English from the same nation state. Moreover, she highlights the
importance of heterogeneity and standardization processes and suggests a lot
of ideas to address the solutions of certain language related issues.

The Part IV investigates diverse notions of “competence”. These notions
involve the “native speaker” concept, which is considered critical under
certain dimensions, and illustrate how these concepts develop in discursive
ethnic and racial politics, language revitalization, and global online
communication, in a broader sense. Almost all the chapters in this part
provide diverse ethnographic backgrounds and paint a variety of streams
through which certain language speakers claim “competence”. The authors in
these chapters also talk about the socio-cultural conditions which play an
important role in the development of competence in the individuals of a
community. This, most importantly, provides justification for change in
socio-cultural conditions.

Anne Whiteside’s chapter explains the “politics of claiming”, or exhibiting
“competence” in Maya and English (among Maya speaking immigrants). The author
“connects these Maya speakers’ reluctance to claim competence in Maya and thus
their “native speaker” status to the history of colonization in the Yucatan
peninsula, where Maya was treated racially and culturally inferior to
Spanish.” (p. 211). Furthermore, the chapter by Ryuko Kubota illustrates a
range of related ideas which show that “native speaker” status in language
instruction is not an attribute. Kubota uses the word “attribute” in a broad
sense, meaning it does not provide absolute power or superiority in any
circumstance. To a certain extent, she opines that such interactions are
created with other social, cultural and political components in a particular
time and space and in a specific power relation. She then introduces her
fieldwork at a high school in the Southern United States. Here, Kubota
examines a “non-native speaker” of Japanese with insufficient Japanese
language proficiency; the author says that such speakers are being hired over
“native speakers” of Japanese. Kubota analyzes a number of cases and certain
reasons for their fixed proficiency in Japanese and illustrates a lot of
points where readers may find controversy between the notions of “native
speaker” and “non-native speaker”. In the same part, the chapter by Shinji
Sato observes the online practice of blogging by a student. This learner of
Japanese-as-a-foreign-language happens to appear in class activities in the
United States. The author believes that the student has been very much active
in communication in online networks. The student performs actively in the
development of new works, projects, multiple subject positions, etc. Moreover,
the author asserts that online communication, especially blogging, provides
learners with certain ways to be active language users.

The Part V of the book, highlighting and addressing a lot of theoretical
ambiguities, summarizes certain discussions and findings of the book and later
situates them within current debates in second language learning. These
chapters are written by Yuri Kumagai and Doerr and suggest certain ways in
which current theoretical developments can be incorporated into second
language teaching. The authors suggest motivating language learners to enhance
context-sensitive abilities and skills. These specific skills help learners to
improve in a number of ways. The authors also believe that these skills are
needed to maneuver among different linguistic forms, while maintaining a
careful awareness of the notions of ideologies and the specific politics of
“language standardization”.

EVALUATION

Overall, readers will find this edited volume a well-written, well-researched,
and insightful book. The book presents an amazingly rich pool of information
about a lot of theories and notions of “native speaker” and “non-native
speaker”. It addresses a lot of issues which have long-since been emerging in
language science debates. All the chapters in this volume have a cohesive and
coherent presence, which pave the way for a finer understanding for the
reader.

Moreover, the compelling ideas in Part III, which will be a favorite for
readers, invite them (especially language scientists) to comb for
standardization-related issues in their own native languages. These chapters
can offer us a lot of answers which could help us better understand language
related issues and they also paint an accurate picture of existing language
standardization issues in the modern world.

On the whole, “The Native Speaker Concept” is an outstanding addition to
language science, especially sociolinguistics and ethnography. It is very
clear in its style, which makes it entirely accessible to anyone who is
concerned with theories of language change and ethnography.


ABOUT THE REVIEWER

Ayaz Abdullah graduated from Forman Christian College University, Lahore in
2003 and mastered in English from University of the Punjab in 2006 and MPhil
in Applied Linguistics from University of Management and Technology, Lahore in
2010. Currently he is Lecturer in University of Engineering and Technology,
Lahore KSK Campus. His research interests are in general linguistics,
sociolinguistics and morphology.








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