10) The politics of language Flashcards
What is nationality?
a social group with a relatively complex level of organization, a nationality may or may not control territory as a sovereign nation, e.g. the Basques
What is a nation?
a state under the control of a single nationality, e.g. Portugal
What is an ethnic group?
not the same as nationalities, they are concerned primarily with their own local affairs, in extreme cases, ethnic groups do not even know what country they live in
What is a state?
a political unit with control over and responsibility for all the people that live in it
Most of te world’s countries are not nations, but _____________
multinational states
What is a multiethnic nation?
a country where the people are ethnic groups rather than nationalities
What are the three of the most symbols of national identity?
religion, territory, language
How does ethnic groups see their language?
they doesn’t see it as critical to their identity, and they often give up their languages over several generations in favor of another language that seems more politically or economically advantegous
What is a national language?
the language used to carry out government tasks
Which nation is among the biggest of all the world’s nationalities that do not control their own states?
Kurds
What are coded standards?
those that have been explicitly formulated
What are uncoded standards?
in force despite not having been deliberately specified
What is Ebonics?
African American English
In which aspect is Ebonics more flexible?
it allows finer distinctions in verbal expressions than standard English does - she work, she workin, she be workin - it gives its speakers an extra verbal aspect
What is diglossia?
a way to have a formal, standard form of a language alongside with more colloquial form, without the colloquial variety being held in contempt (German-speaking Switzerland, Arab world)
