Overview

This book presents a vivid overview of linguistic, literary and educational issues in a multicultural context from various perspectives. These range from large-scale surveys to specific analyses on aspects of language, literature and education. Contributions are very original and based on a common denominator: Multiculturalism. Despite the numerical dominance of contributions from Cameroon (one of the most multilingual countries in the world), this book brings together views from specialists in the different domains from several parts of the world (Africa, Europe and the United States of America). These contributions exhibit not theoretical issues that underpin current academic debates in linguistic and literary research, but also empirical and interesting data that can further be exploited to other ends. Critical views on literature and postcolonialism, the fears of language death with the advent of globalisation and the spread of English language, the educational significance or influence of the internet, the wealth of Cameroon/African literature and the education of the Cameroonian/African child, and theoretical issues in language and literary education are themes handled here in an accessible manner to readers without previous knowledge of language science, literature and education.

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9781847185631

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Reviews

The extent to which one's representations of Africa result from multiple and interrelated discourses cannot be underestimated. Such discourses have been disseminated in the course of one's personal history not only through the teaching of 'official' history at school (Ferro, 1981) but also through children's literature. The issue is not simply that representations of Cameroon will be different depending on whether individuals are French, English, German, Irish or indeed, Cameroonians because they have been taught different 'histories' at school (Manceron, 2003) but that their own representations frame their interpretations, understandings and methodologies. If one takes a socio-cultural standpoint and assumes that learning and teaching situations need to be studied in their situated, cultural context (Bruner, 1996) the issue is far from trivial because the researcher's meanings are constitutive of the research site. Prof Edith Esch A variety of perspectives on the globalization of English have been addressed and can be topics of linguistic research. ... there are political issues, for instance attitudes towards the spread of English, and the question of which standards should be promoted in the political arena, with typical options including either the upholding of foreign, usually British, standards for international communication or the acceptance of indigenous varieties as expressions of local identities. ... this translates directly into pedagogical needs. Prof Edgar Schneider

The extent to which one's representations of Africa result from multiple and interrelated discourses cannot be underestimated. Such discourses have been disseminated in the course of one's personal history not only through the teaching of `official' history at school (Ferro, 1981) but also through children's literature. The issue is not simply that representations of Cameroon will be different depending on whether individuals are French, English, German, Irish or indeed, Cameroonians because they have been taught different `histories' at school (Manceron, 2003) but that their own representations frame their interpretations, understandings and methodologies. If one takes a socio-cultural standpoint and assumes that learning and teaching situations need to be studied in their situated, cultural context (Bruner, 1996) the issue is far from trivial because the researcher's meanings are constitutive of the research site. Prof Edith Esch A variety of perspectives on the globalization of English have been addressed and can be topics of linguistic research. ... there are political issues, for instance attitudes towards the spread of English, and the question of which standards should be promoted in the political arena, with typical options including either the upholding of foreign, usually British, standards for international communication or the acceptance of indigenous varieties as expressions of local identities. ... this translates directly into pedagogical needs. Prof Edgar Schneider

The extent to which one's representations of Africa result from multiple and interrelated discourses cannot be underestimated. Such discourses have been disseminated in the course of one's personal history not only through the teaching of 'official' history at school (Ferro, 1981) but also through children's literature. The issue is not simply that representations of Cameroon will be different depending on whether individuals are French, English, German, Irish or indeed, Cameroonians because they have been taught different 'histories' at school (Manceron, 2003) but that their own representations frame their interpretations, understandings and methodologies. If one takes a socio-cultural standpoint and assumes that learning and teaching situations need to be studied in their situated, cultural context (Bruner, 1996) the issue is far from trivial because the researcher's meanings are constitutive of the research site. Prof Edith Esch A variety of perspectives on the globalization of English have been addressed and can be topics of linguistic research. ... there are political issues, for instance attitudes towards the spread of English, and the question of which standards should be promoted in the political arena, with typical options including either the upholding of foreign, usually British, standards for international communication or the acceptance of indigenous varieties as expressions of local identities. ... this translates directly into pedagogical needs. Prof Edgar Schneider

Author Information

Kenneth Harrow is professor of English and director of Comparative Literature at Michigan State University, USA. His areas of specialization are: African Literature and Cinema, Caribbean Literature, Third World Cinema and Postcolonial and Feminist Theory. He is the author of Thresholds of Change in African Literature (1990) and Less than One and Double (2002). He has edited several books including Faces of Islam in African Literature (1991); The Marabout and the Muse (1996); African Cinema: Postcolonial and Feminist Readings (1999); Research in African Literatures (1995 and 2001). He has held many awards and fellowships in several parts of the world.Kizitus Mpoche holds a PhD in English and Applied Linguistics from the University of Cambridge, UK. His main areas of research are Language Acquisition, Language Use, Language Description, and Multilingual Issues. He is co-editor of Language, Literature and Identity (2006). At present, he is senior lecturer at the University of Yaounde I where he has been instrumental in the organization of three international conferences based on collaborative research on Africa: Language, Literature and Identity (2005); Language, Literature and Education (2006) and Language, Literature and Social Interaction (2007). He has held a Commonwealth Scholarship Award.

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