The Languages of Nation

This book explores research on linguistic prescriptivism and social identities, in contemporary and historical contexts of cross-cultural contact and awareness. Providing multilingual and multidisciplinary perspectives on both institutional and informal mechanisms of prescriptivism, our contributors relate language norms to frameworks of identity.

1. Introduction: Multidisciplinary and Multilingual Perspectives on National Language Norms Carol Percy and Mary Catherine Davidson 2.Preface: Language, Prescriptivism, Nationalism - and Identity John Edwards Section 1. Managing Language Policies 3. William Cecil and the Rectification of English Ian Lancashire 4. Prescribing Pastoral and Pragmatic Orientations: Challenges for Language Policy Lionel Wee Section 2. Colonialism and Literary Canons 5. Mutual Preservation of Standard Language and National Identity in Early Modern Wales John D. Phillips 6. "A Highly Poetical Language"? Scots, Burns, Patriotism and Evaluative Language in Nineteenth-century Literary Reviews and Articles Marina Dossena Section 3. Transmarine and Transatlantic Allegiances 7. Language and National Identity in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-century England Linda C. Mitchell 8. "A la mode de Paris": Linguistic Patriotism and Francophobia in Eighteenth-century Britain Joan C. Beal 9. Pronouncing Dictionaries between Patriotism and Prescriptivism: Perspectives on Provincialism in Webster's America Massimo Sturiale (University of Catania, Italy) Section 4. Re-defining Boundaries: Ideology and Language Norms 10. Patriotism, Empire, and Cultural Prescriptivism: Images of Anglicity in the OED Lynda Mugglestone 11. You Say Nucular, I Say Yourstupid: Popular Prescriptivism in the Politics of the United States Don Chapman Section 5. Identifying Norms and Attitudes in Postcolonial Contexts 12. English and Pidgin in Cameroon: Peaceful or Conflicting Co-existence? Jean-Paul Kouega 13. "Susu" not "Sousou": Nationalism, Prescriptivism, and Etymology in a Post-colonial Creole Language Orthography" Lise Winer Section 6. Prescribing Norms beyond Borders: Foreign Language Teaching 14. Rules for the Neighbours: Prescriptions of the German Language for British Learners Nicola McLelland 15. Nativeness, Authority, Authenticity: The Construction of Belonging and Exclusion in Debates about English Language Proficiency and Immigration in Britain Martin Gill