To celebrate the end of Ramadam and Eid, this post considers the spaces of multilingualism.
I love the work of Jan Blommaert and colleagues in that they theorise the relationship between spaces, culture and identities. Jan has just moved here.
When I went to Barcelona to present a paper on literacies, gender and minority languages, I loved hearing Monica Heller's thoughts on language and identity.
She said that literacy is an artifact of socio-historical processes, which is very interesting.
Jan also said that he thought that the bird, or Kus which I describe here, is itself language as artifact.
This is also to tell you that I am learning Turkish, and also to celebrate our identities as global nomads.
On that note, we can think of Dr Joolz here.
She is so lucky.
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6 comments:
Well, I had a skim of the spaces of multiligualism thing - very interesting. It made me think about an analogous situation - the history of the medical/social model of disability and how attitudes (or legislation, to be strictly accurate, in the form of the DDA) have changed. In the medical model the problem is located in the disabled person, whereas in the social model an oppressive social system creates disability by discriminating against the powerless and marginalising them by reducing opportunities for social engagement (making them dependent, housebound or intitutionalised).
On an arty note, Benedict Phillips is a dyslexic artist who work with language a great deal - visit his Benedictionary at http://www.thebenedict.net/benedictionary/default.asp. We have just done a book with him on a residency in Sheffield titled DIV (Dyslexic Intelligent Vision) which will be available soon - I will give you a copy Dr Kate!
That would be great - I think that is exactly what the team in Gent were doing with the spaces of multilingualism project -seeing monolinguals as the problem not multilingual speakers.
And in Cornwall where the Cornish Language is being regenerated, built, invented, recreated etc there are three schools of the language all of who are competing and all who claim that their version of Cornish is the most authentic!
PLus I also live in a 'space of multiligualism' which is my fault in that a. I married a Ukrainian Woman and b. I fixed a satellite dish to my wall and now my house is wall to wall russian TV!
I know because I read the post.
i think it is excellent about the satellite telelvision.
Charmian Kenner also writes about the importance of satellite television in her excellent book Becoming Biliterate.
Dearbh-aithne nàisein daorsainn cànan, as we say in Gaelic, though the chances of anyone understanding us are slim! (a nation's identity is bound to its language, tr.)
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