Bringing together a renowned group of scholars from a range of disciplines – sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, philosophy of language, and language documentation – this book explores the role academics can play in language activism. It surveys the most common tensions that language researchers experience in their attempts to enact social change through their work, such as how far they can become politically involved, how they can maintain objectivity in an activist role, whether their work can ever be apolitical, and what ideologies they propagate. In a series of concise original chapters, each author discusses their own experiences and personal concerns; some offering more theoretically informed elaborations on the topic of language activism. Showcasing the state-of-the-art in language activism, this book is essential reading for anyone considering the need for scholarly engagement with the public and the communities in which they work, and the impact that this activism can have on society.
‘… there is something of interest to anyone concerned with language rights and community work … Recommended.’
L. Lopez Source: Choice
‘This astonishing collection of researchers, theories, and ideas is a profound addition to the studies on (language) activism … The authors manage to shine a bright light on the issues at hand and calibrate the roles of scholars in a modern academia. This volume can be placed with a possible new paradigm on the studies on language activism, moving toward a new linguistics containing decolonizing and egalitarian approaches. The personal and inspiring stories call in unison to leave the 'ivory tower' behind and rethink our research as something to be done with languages, communities, and society. To echo a point mentioned by many authors in this volume, they might be taking small steps, but this impressive collection is nothing short of a big leap for the field.’
Leon Grausam Source: Critical Inquiry in Language Studies
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