language policy

"Tracking an underground language from one family's obsession to the outcasts who spoke it in order to survive. Centuries ago in middle Europe, a coded language appeared, scrawled in graffiti and spoken only by people who were "wiz" (in the know)-vagrants and refugees, merchants and thieves. This hybrid language was rich in expressions for police, jail, or experiencing trouble, such as "being in a pickle." And beginning with Martin Luther, German Protestants who disliked its speakers wanted to stamp it out. The Nazis hated it most of all. As a boy, Martin Puchner learned this secret language through his father and uncle. Only as an adult did he discover, through a poisonous 1930s tract on Jewish names, that his own grandfather, an historian and archivist, had been a committed Nazi who hated everything his sons and grandsons loved about "the language of thieves." Interweaving family memoir with scholarship and an adventurous foray into the politics of language, Puchner crafts an entirely original journey narrative"--Provided by publisher.

Contains thirteen essays that present varying perspectives on issues related to the question of whether the United States should be multilingual, discussing whether English should be the national language, whether election ballots should be multilingual, whether libraries should support multiple languages, and other related topics.

"Tracking an underground language from one family's obsession to the outcasts who spoke it in order to survive. Centuries ago in middle Europe, a coded language appeared, scrawled in graffiti and spoken only by people who were "wiz" (in the know)-vagrants and refugees, merchants and thieves. This hybrid language was rich in expressions for police, jail, or experiencing trouble, such as "being in a pickle." And beginning with Martin Luther, German Protestants who disliked its speakers wanted to stamp it out. The Nazis hated it most of all. As a boy, Martin Puchner learned this secret language through his father and uncle. Only as an adult did he discover, through a poisonous 1930s tract on Jewish names, that his own grandfather, an historian and archivist, had been a committed Nazi who hated everything his sons and grandsons loved about "the language of thieves." Interweaving family memoir with scholarship and an adventurous foray into the politics of language, Puchner crafts an entirely original journey narrative"--Provided by publisher.

A collection of essays which take the discussion of language in the classroom beyond the highly charged war of idioms in which "English only" really means standard English.

Analyzes the English Only Movement in the United States and offers a place for the power of American diversity.

A collection of essays that present arguments for and against the adoption of English as the official language of the U.S., discussing the history of the debate; exploring the issues of acquisition, assimilation, and cultural identity; and considering the impact of the controversy on the educational system.

Discusses the politics of bilingual education, recent laws making English the official language in certain states, the movement for a constitutional amendment making English the official language of the United States, and ways in which bilingualism has been handled in other countries.