Language and Poverty

Wayne Harbert is Professor of Linguistics, Cornell University. In addition to his research on the Germanic languages, he teaches Welsh and Scottish Gaelic, as well as courses on minority languages and linguistics.Sally McConnell-Ginet, Professor Emerita of Linguistics at Cornell University, has taught and done research in formal semantics/pragmatics and in language and gender. She is Past President of the Linguistic Society of America.Amanda Miller, Assistant Professor of Linguistics at Cornell University, works on the phonetics and phonology of endangered Southern African Khoesan languages. She undertakes linguistic field work in Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.John Whitman, Professor and Chair of Linguistics at Cornell University, works on syntactic variation and language change. His research includes work with endangered minority languages of Japan (Ryûkyûan), Korea (Kyeongsang-do dialect), and the People’s Republic of China (Tibetan, Bai).

• Chapter 1. Introduction - Wayne Harbert, Sally McConnell-Ginet, Amanda Miller and John WhitmanSection I: Poverty as a Factor in Language Maintenance and Language DeathChapter 2. Poverty as a Factor in Language Maintenance and Language Death: Some Case Studies from Africa - Herman BatiboChapter 3. Language Diversity and Poverty in Africa - Matthias BrenzingerSection II: Language as a Determinant of Access to ResourcesChapter 4. The Impact of the Hegemony of English on Access to and Quality of Education with Special Reference to South Africa - Neville AlexanderChapter 5. Econolinguistics in the USA - John BaughChapter 6. Where in the World is US Spanish? - Ofelia Garcia and Leah MasonChapter 7. Perpetuating Inequality: Language Disadvantage and Capability Deprivation of Tribal Mother Tongue Speakers in India - Ajit MohantySection III: Language and Poverty: A Cross-disciplinary PerspectiveChapter 8. Biodiversity, Linguistic Diversity and Poverty: Some Global Patterns and Missing Links - Suzanne RomaineChapter 9. Language and Poverty: Measurement, Determinants and Policy Responses - François VaillancourtChapter 10. Losing their Names: Native Languages, Identity and the State - Peter WhiteleySection IV: Language, Poverty and the Role of the LinguistChapter 11. The Role of the Linguist in Language Maintenance and Revitalization: Documentation, Training and Materials Development - Lenore Grenoble, Keren Rice and Norvin RichardsChapter 12. Preserving Digital Language Materials: Some Considerations - Helen Aristar-DryConclusion

This is a fascinating volume. As far as I know, it is the first comprehensive collection on this important subject. The authors are well known experts in their disciplines and are able to contribute numerous important insights on the complex interactions between language choices, material poverty and economic disruption.