Languages in America: A Pluralist View / Edition 2

by Susan J. Dicker

Overview

In response to "English only" activists, sociolinguist Dicker presents an argument for the benefits of language diversity in the United States. She begins by discussing the role language plays in personal and public identity and debunks the idea of America as a "melting pot." Other topics include attitudes toward minority languages in American education, federal language-restrictionist legislation, and the practice of official multilingualism in other countries. Dicker (English, Hostos Community College, CUNY) was born in New York City of multilingual immigrant parents. Distributed in the US by UTP Distribution. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781853596520
Publisher:	Multilingual Matters Ltd.
Publication date:	02/22/2006
Series:	Bilingual Education and Bilingualism Ser.
Edition description:	2ND
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Susan J. Dicker was born in New York City of multilingual immigrant parents and, growing up, regularly heard Italian, Yiddish and Spanish at home. She holds Masters of Arts degrees in Spanish and TESOL and an Ed.D. in Applied Linguistics. She is Associate Professor of English at Hostos Community College, The City University of New York, in the ethnically diverse borough of the Bronx. Her articles on language pluralism appear in The Bilingual Review/La Revista Bilingüe, The Educational Forum, The Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, The Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, and Education and Society.

Editorial Reviews

A perceptive argument in support of multilingualism in the US drawing on linguistics, history, and sociology to establish a counterpoint to "English only" positions. Dicker (English, Hostos Community College) celebrates the importance of native language, debunks the melting pot mythology, and destroys common misconceptions about second-language learning which, in turn, uncovers some of the political and power agendas of the official-English movement. The volume is a refreshing and positive vote for language diversity in a truly pluralistic society. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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