Manuela Vida-Mannl - Böcker

This book offers a unique insight into the dynamics of the English language in higher education in Cyprus through the lens of universities situated on both sides of its geopolitical division. It takes an original perspective on 'value' in the context of the sociolinguistics and political economy of English as a global language and as an apparent commodified entity. The problematic issues of value as they apply to language are dealt with from Marxist and Bourdieusean perspectives. The book also offers a helpful critique of the claims of alternative paradigms of English expansion, such as ELF, and their shortcomings in respect of the concept of value. Manuela Vida-Mannl puts forth a critique of the marketization of English and the complicity of higher education in the reproduction of linguistic hierarchies and social inequalities in Cyprus and, by implication, more generally. She presents a conception of English as a marketable attribute that does not necessarily require competence, which points to the ongoing imbrication of English in the reproduction of global structural and social inequality, as it exposes the myth of class advancement through English. Building on an extensive study (based on 205 questionnaires and 25 subsequent in-depth ethnographic interviews) and by focusing on the value of English within the unique context of divided Cyprus, this book uncovers an intriguing perspective on the neoliberal role and significance of the English language in our globalized world.

This book offers a unique insight into the dynamics of the English language in higher education in Cyprus through the lens of universities situated on both sides of its geopolitical division. It takes an original perspective on 'value' in the context of the sociolinguistics and political economy of English as a global language and as an apparent commodified entity. The problematic issues of value as they apply to language are dealt with from Marxist and Bourdieusean perspectives. The book also offers a helpful critique of the claims of alternative paradigms of English expansion, such as ELF, and their shortcomings in respect of the concept of value. Manuela Vida-Mannl puts forth a critique of the marketization of English and the complicity of higher education in the reproduction of linguistic hierarchies and social inequalities in Cyprus and, by implication, more generally. She presents a conception of English as a marketable attribute that does not necessarily require competence, which points to the ongoing imbrication of English in the reproduction of global structural and social inequality, as it exposes the myth of class advancement through English. Building on an extensive study (based on 205 questionnaires and 25 subsequent in-depth ethnographic interviews) and by focusing on the value of English within the unique context of divided Cyprus, this book uncovers an intriguing perspective on the neoliberal role and significance of the English language in our globalized world.

This textbook takes a broad perspective on multilingualism, using a sociolinguistics and acquisition-informed approach that treats multilingualism not solely as the mastery of two or more well-defined language systems, but rather as a continuum of linguistic repertoires and resources to be used in different settings and combinations.

This book is the first of its kind to provide an integrative look at World Englishes, (second) language acquisition, and sociolinguistics in a variety of contexts of English around the globe with a focus on the language of children and adolescents. It thus aims to bridge the paradigm gaps that have been identified between these approaches but have rarely been explored in greater detail. The range of topics includes the areas of first and second language acquisition; sociolinguistic variation and awareness; language use and choice; family language policies; language attitudes and perception; modelling children’s and adolescents’ language in World Englishes; the role of child language acquisition in processes of language change; as well as methodologies of eliciting speech and writing from children and adolescents. The book combines qualitative and quantitative approaches and draws on psycholinguistic, corpus-linguistic, and ethnographic methodologies. What unites the contributions to the volume is that they all address the theoretical implications that a joint approach between World Englishes, sociolinguistics, and language acquisition has, i.e. why it is fruitful and how it can contribute to a deeper understanding of the different research paradigms.