Language Education for Intercultural Communication (Multilingual Matters) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1853591904 ISBN 13: 9781853591907

Publisher: Multilingual Matters, 1993

Synopsis

In late twentieth century Europe effective communication has become a fundamental requirement for the success of the individual, of communities, and of nations. For individuals, it is important to be able to participate in democratic and cultural processes, and to gain access to the labour market, without suffering the drawbacks of illiteracy or inadequate knowledge of standardised languages. Language learning and language competence have become matters of vital importance as countries realign, severing former alliances, and reform, creating new groupings. Nations interact on the international scene, and must ensure that their political and economic interests are helped by adequate communication skills on the part of their citizens. Each of these political acts entails a re-evaluation of language policy and practice including the question of language education. The policies and practices of European states vary even when addressing very similar linguistic problems and these different approaches illuminate the area for manoeuvre in each national situation. Variations are related to or explained by several factors at the level of the nation, the community and the individual: national educational systems and priorities, national particularities, national histories, cultural and religious differences, migration, economic pressures, individual characteristics and preferences. These variations and their causes are described and analysed here in parallel studies, leading to assessments of the effectiveness of national educational policies. Comparisons and evaluations of the data enable a reconceptualisation of relations between language learning, education and cross-cultural communication, allowing conclusions to be drawn concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of policies.

About this title

About the Authors

Dennis Ager is Emeritus Professor of Modern Languages at Aston University, UK. His interests lie in the interface between language and society. He is the author of Francophonie in the 1990s: Problems and Opportunities (Multilingual matters, 1996), Language Policy in Britain and France: The Processes of Policy (Cassells, 1996), Language, Community and the State (Intellect, 1997) and Identity, Insecurity and Image: France and Language (Multilingual matters, 1999).

Sue Wright is a lecturer in the School of Language and European Studies at Aston University. Her research interests are multilingualism and language policy in Europe.

Edition details

• Publisher: Multilingual Matters
• Publication date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1853591904
• ISBN 13: 9781853591907
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224
• Editor: Ager Dennis E, Muskens George, Wright Sue