You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws, and

You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws, and the Politics of Identity

"An insightful, accessible examination of the way in which day-to-day speech is tangled in a complicated web of history, politics, race, economics and power." - Kirkus

What is it about other peopleâ€™s language that moves some of us to anxiety or even rage? For centuries, sticklers the world over have donned the cloak of authority to control the way people use words. Now this sensational new book strikes back to defend the fascinating, real-life diversity of this most basic human faculty.

With the erudite yet accessible style that marks his work as a journalist, Robert Lane Greene takes readers on a rollicking tour around the world, illustrating with vivid anecdotes the role language beliefs play in shaping our identities, for good and ill. Beginning with literal myths, from the Tower of Babel to the bloody origins of the word â€œshibboleth,â€ Greene shows how language â€œexpertsâ€ went from myth-making to rule-making and from building cohesive communities to building modern nations. From the notion of one languageâ€™s superiority to the common perception that phrases like â€œItâ€™s meâ€ are â€œbad English,â€ linguistic beliefs too often define â€œusâ€ and distance â€œthem,â€ supporting class, ethnic, or national prejudices. In short: What we hear about language is often really about the politics of identity.

Governments foolishly try to police language development (the French Academy), nationalism leads to the violent suppression of minority languages (Kurdish and Basque), and even Americans fear that the most successful language in world history (English) may be threatened by increased immigration. These false language beliefs are often tied to harmful political ends and can lead to the violation of basic human rights. Conversely, political involvement in language can sometimes prove beneficial, as with the ZionistÂ revival of Hebrew or our present-day efforts to provide education in foreign languages essential to business, diplomacy, and intelligence. And yes, standardized languages play a crucial role in uniting modern societies.

As this fascinating book shows, everything weâ€™ve been taught to think about language may not be wrongâ€”but it is often about something more than language alone. You Are What You Speak will certainly get people talking.
Country USA
Manufacturer Delacorte Press
Binding Hardcover
ReleaseDate 2011-03-08
UnitCount 1
EANs 9780553807875

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Delacorte Press
Binding	Hardcover
ReleaseDate	2011-03-08
UnitCount	1
EANs	9780553807875

You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws, and the Politics of Identity

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