The public face of language
-
Jenny Cook-Gumperz
Abstract
This chapter looks at the debates surrounding the reform of the German spelling system that took place from the early 1990s through to 2006. Given Germany’s federal system of government such changes, although proposed by a Government appointed Commission, had to be debated, and enacted by each individual State. During the course of this process a great deal of controversy was generated both in the media and in protests by the general public, and by the refusal of some leading newspapers and publishers to adopt the reformed spelling/orthographic principles. The debates speak to the newly discovered awareness of the importance of the visual character of language as a tangible token of language identity, and to the depth of the ideological issues that language matters evoke.
Abstract
This chapter looks at the debates surrounding the reform of the German spelling system that took place from the early 1990s through to 2006. Given Germany’s federal system of government such changes, although proposed by a Government appointed Commission, had to be debated, and enacted by each individual State. During the course of this process a great deal of controversy was generated both in the media and in protests by the general public, and by the refusal of some leading newspapers and publishers to adopt the reformed spelling/orthographic principles. The debates speak to the newly discovered awareness of the importance of the visual character of language as a tangible token of language identity, and to the depth of the ideological issues that language matters evoke.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- On how to pragmaticize understanding 1
- Does the autonomy of linguistics rest on the autonomy of syntax? 15
- Classifying illocutionary acts, or, a tale of Theory and Praxis 39
- Spatial indexicalities and spatial pragmatics 53
- Pragmatics as a facilitator for child syntax development 77
- Pragmatics, linguistic competence, and Conversation Analysis 101
- Pragmatics and dialogue phenomena 113
- Roots of the wakimae aspect of linguistic politeness 121
- “Laura! Laura! Wake up” 139
- Knowledge, discourse and domination 151
- The public face of language 197
- The compleat angle on pragmatics 213
- Tabula Gratulatoria 219
- Index 229
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- On how to pragmaticize understanding 1
- Does the autonomy of linguistics rest on the autonomy of syntax? 15
- Classifying illocutionary acts, or, a tale of Theory and Praxis 39
- Spatial indexicalities and spatial pragmatics 53
- Pragmatics as a facilitator for child syntax development 77
- Pragmatics, linguistic competence, and Conversation Analysis 101
- Pragmatics and dialogue phenomena 113
- Roots of the wakimae aspect of linguistic politeness 121
- “Laura! Laura! Wake up” 139
- Knowledge, discourse and domination 151
- The public face of language 197
- The compleat angle on pragmatics 213
- Tabula Gratulatoria 219
- Index 229
