Linguistic Ecology Research Articles

Major and minor languages in complex linguistic ecologies: the Nigerian experience

It is generally accepted that Nigeria has at least 400 indigenous languages in addition to English, Arabic and Pidgin. The Nigerian language space contains a variety of microcultures and many traditional ethnolinguistic groups. Due to the extremely complex and complicated linguistic ecology, successive governments have found it difficult to take a bold and clear policy position on languages within the country. The boldest policy statements yet are those in the 1979 Constitution and in the National Policy on Education. When read in conjunction, the provisions lead to the conclusion that government recognizes Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba as the three major languages which have official recognition. No clear statements are made on the other languages, a situation that has engendered a feeling of alienation and frustration in speakers of those languages. This paper will look at the antecedents of these policies, the tensions generated by them and the implications of language practices in education in different parts of Nigeria, as well as the psychological effects of belonging to major or minor language groups within the country.

Linguistic Ecology: Language Change and Linguistic Imperialism in the Pacific Region

Linguistic Ecology: Language Change and Linguistic Imperialism in the Pacific Region

Language and Universalization

In this article, interpretation of Bahá’í writings regarding language, cultural diversity, and worldwide communication leads to the seemingly paradoxical position that the promotion of linguistic minority rights in must coincide with promotion of an International Auxiliary Language (IAL). Opposing trends toward increased globalization and growing nationalism are noted and their concurrence explained. The notion of “cultural justice” is expounded and the unregulated global spread of English today critically assessed in its light. By contrast, from the perspective of Bahá’í writ, IAL emerges as a language intended to facilitate worldwide communication without unduly impinging on humankind’s native linguistic traditions. Thus, Bahá’í writings appear to support a worldwide linguistic ecology better planned, more equitable, less prone to precipitous change, and more cognizant of the singular role of language in humanity‘s individual and collective identity.

Global vs. Local Language: An Ecolinguistic Reading of Bahá’í Writ

In this article, interpretation of Bahá’í writings regarding language, cultural diversity, and worldwide communication leads to the seemingly paradoxical position that the promotion of linguistic minority rights in must coincide with promotion of an International Auxiliary Language (IAL). Opposing trends toward increased globalization and growing nationalism are noted and their concurrence explained. The notion of “cultural justice” is expounded and the unregulated global spread of English today critically assessed in its light. By contrast, from the perspective of Bahá’í writ, IAL emerges as a language intended to facilitate worldwide communication without unduly impinging on humankind’s native linguistic traditions. Thus, Bahá’í writings appear to support a worldwide linguistic ecology better planned, more equitable, less prone to precipitous change, and more cognizant of the singular role of language in humanity‘s individual and collective identity.

The Socially Responsible Lexicographer in Oceania

While lexicographers have often seen themselves as 'harmless drudges', scholars have increasingly pointed out that there are many aspects of lexicography that are inherently political. The recent writings of Muhlhausler, in fact, argue that lexicography (and other acts of linguistic description) constitute a 'very serious trespass on the linguistic ecology of an area', which can ultimately lead to a language's demise. This paper critically examines views such as these in the context of community expectations of lexicographical researchers in the Oceanic region. Much lexicographical research on indigenous languages of this region has in the past been geared towards satisfying the needs of academics, but there is a greater expectation now that we must also satisfy the needs of researched communities. A range of options is suggested for making dictionaries more accessible to speakers of indigenous languages, yet at the same time meeting the requirements for academically respectable publications.

The Nalik Language of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea

Most of the languages of Papua New Guinea are still poorly documented. This first grammar of Nalik provides one of the most accessible and detailed descriptions of a New Ireland language, even while English and Tok Pisin are becoming increasingly dominant among the four thousand Nalik speakers. Rejecting the idea of an artificial standard form of the language, this volume is unusual in its description of the grammatical variation caused by such a fluid linguistic ecology.

South-East Asia - Peter Mühlhäusler: Linguistic ecology: language change and linguistic imperialism in the Pacific region. (The Politics of Language.) xiii, 396 pp. London and New York: Routledge, 1996. £40.

South-East Asia - Peter Mühlhäusler: Linguistic ecology: language change and linguistic imperialism in the Pacific region. (The Politics of Language.) xiii, 396 pp. London and New York: Routledge, 1996. £40. - Volume 60 Issue 2

Macroscopic and Microscopic Views of L2 Classrooms

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Linguistic power bases and structures in <i>Kopstukke</i> (1992) by Jeanne Goosen

This article argues that in Kopstukke a linguistic analysis of the text can illustrate how specific gendered relations operating within the text are supported by the linguistic fibre of the text. In Kopstukke the linguistic ecology which is created within the boundaries of the text supports a "postfeminist" perception of gendered relations and relations of dominance in general. It is argued that by violating certain stereotypical linguistic boundaries (e.g. syntactic structures, linguistic taboos, discourse strategies), barriers operating within the society (which is mirrored in the text) are dismantled.

Some remarks on a review of Gérard Genette's structuralism

In this article we do two things: in the first half, we trace the emergence and development of ecological linguistics, or ecolinguistics, from the early 1970s. Having contrasted the ecological endeavour with the form-based traditions of 20th century linguistics, we discern four particular ways in which the ecology of language has been conceptualised: as a symbolic ecology (Section 2), a natural ecology (Section 3), a sociocultural ecology (Section 4), and a cognitive ecology (Section 5). These four approaches are described and discussed in detail. In the second half of the state of the art, we outline future horizons for the discipline. The foundation for this outline is our plea for a unified ecological language science (Section 6). This unified program pursues a naturalised agenda in the language sciences by exploring the ecological embeddedness of language and linguistic interaction (Section 7). In particular, this section presents the extended ecology hypothesis as one possible way of understanding ecolinguistics as a naturalised science of language. Having presented this view, we argue that it can place the four different traditions mentioned within a unified ecolinguistic framework (Section 8). This framework includes a naturalised foundation for those concerns that characterise the ecolinguistic enterprise, e.g. the exploitation of natural resources, empowerment of marginalized social groups, and the peaceful coexistence of languages and cultures in multicultural communities. In the conclusion (Section 9), we call for further interaction between ecological schools and traditions.

The cognitive function of specialized languages: educational implications

The current article explores the problem of conceptualizing specialized languages in the general body of language, and, as such, will refer extensively to the concepts described by S. Grucza (2013) based on the anthropocentric theory of language per se. By focusing on the cognitive function of specialized languages and evoking the principles of ecological linguistics, the necessity of integrating specialized knowledge with specialized language will be highlighted. Consequently, pedagogical implications for ESP syllabi and teacher education will be drawn.

Historical, Descriptive and Dynamic Linguistics

The neo-grammarian school (1870-1900) established a conception of linguistics as a science based on detailed observation of language and accurate formulation of observed processes. This has led to a shift of attention from historical studies to the investigation of living language, which is better able to meet the requirements of this conception. The validity of traditional historical methods of reconstruction and explanation has appeared increasingly suspect. The insight of descriptive structural linguistics may help to refine the formulation of historical systems and processes, but cannot establish their validity, nor provide more than a most restricted dynamic of language change. This must spring from the establishment of the dimensions of variation within a language community, the conditions of usage and balance of apparently competing forms (linguistic ecology), and the observation of the action of selection pressures upon their distribution.