Language and National Identity in Burma

[Justin Watkins]

Language and National Identity in Burma
Justin Watkins (SOAS, London) and U Saw Tun (NIU, DeKalb)

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Apologies for cross-posting

We have been asked to prepare a chapter on Language in Nationalism in
Burma/Myanmar for a book "Language and National Identity in Asia" to be
published by Oxford University Press.

In researching the chapter, we are keen that our piece should be as
inclusive as possible.  We are writing to as broad as possible a
constituency of people with Burma connections and/or interests in
language in Burma to ask if there are any useful pieces of information,
or facts, or comments, or sources of information which you would like to
share with us as we prepare to write the chapter.

We are interested in topics including, but not limited to the following:

- conflict or competition between languages in Burma
- situations where different languages are used in different domains of
life
- any links, perceived or actual, between language use and personal
identity
- individual accounts of the use of several languages
- nationalism and language use
- the relative status of different languages, or Burmese and other
languages
- the use of Burmese compared to other languages, both in public and in
private
- languages which are not indigenous to Burma - Chinese and Indian
languages, etc.
- languages and the law; languages and human rights; languages and
education; languages and administration
- recent or predicted changes in language use
- sources of statistics or analyses

Please submit your suggestions, concerns and comments - long or short -
to Justin Watkins at jw2 at soas.ac.uk, and please include the word
"Nationalism" in the subject line of your e-mail.  While we will be
extremely grateful for all comments we receive, we cannot, of course,
promise to represent all views in the chapter we write.  All comments
will remain confidential and anonymous, unless you prefer otherwise.

many thanks
Justin Watkins and U Saw Tun

_______________________
Dr Justin Watkins
Lecturer in Burmese
School of Oriental and African Studies
London WC1H 0XG

office  020 7898 4254
fax     020 7898 4399
mobile  07958 001827

http://www.soas.ac.uk/SouthEastAsia/Burmese
AHRB Wa Dictionary project
http://mercury.soas.ac.uk/wadict/

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