or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
More Buying Choices
34 used & new from £5.70
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Language Death (Canto)
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

Language Death (Canto) (Paperback)

by David Crystal (Author) "The phrase 'language death' sounds as stark and final as any other in which that word makes its unwelcome appearance ..." (more)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
RRP: £11.99
Price: £8.53 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £3.46 (29%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, November 10? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
19 new from £7.13 15 used from £5.70
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Hardcover 9 used & new from £9.00

Frequently Bought Together

Language Death (Canto) + Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World's Languages + Spoken Here: Travel among Threatened Languages
Price For All Three: £22.95

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World's Languages

Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World's Languages

by Daniel Nettle
5.0 out of 5 stars (3)  £7.69
Spoken Here: Travel among Threatened Languages

Spoken Here: Travel among Threatened Languages

by Mark Abley
4.4 out of 5 stars (10)  £6.73
When Languages Die: The Extinction of the World's Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowledge

When Languages Die: The Extinction of the World's Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowledge

by K. David Harrison
4.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £8.49
Can Threatened Languages be Saved?: Reversing Language Shift, Revisited - A 21st Century Perspective (Multilingual Matters)

Can Threatened Languages be Saved?: Reversing Language Shift, Revisited - A 21st Century Perspective (Multilingual Matters)

by Joshua A. Fishman
£23.70
Captured Voices

Captured Voices

by John Mcarthy
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 208 pages
  • Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Canto Ed edition (29 April 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0521012716
  • ISBN-13: 978-0521012713
  • Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 13.7 x 1.3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 137,113 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

  • See Complete Table of Contents

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
   Make learning fun opens new browser window
www.singup.org/Teaching  -  Kids love to learn through song Ideas for teaching and learning 
  
 

Product Description

Review

‘… this work is directed at anyone with an interest in humanities and a concern about our future as mankind. Its wealth of information, observation and analysis enlightens the mind and invigorates the spirit of community and identity.’ Language International

‘This is the most personal and passionate of the many excellent books that Crystal has written in the past two decades.’ Times Higher Education Supplement

‘David Crystal [is] the most charismatic lexicographer since Dr Johnson.’ Boyd Tonkin, Independent

‘A serious study of why so many languages across the world are dying.’ Hasan Suroor, The Hindu

‘… this book lucidly reveals the complex truth about language death, and suggests a practical programme to avoid it.’ Good Book Guide

'Crystal provides a very readable and non-technical analysis.' Christianpolitics

‘… this book so succinctly fulfils the goals which the author set himself …’. Bulletin of the School of Oriental & African Studies

‘Language Death is an excellent book with which Crystal sharpens our sense of the complexity of language endangerment and eventual language loss.’ Anglia (Zeitschrift für Englische Philologie)


Product Description

The rapid endangerment and death of many minority languages across the world is a matter of widespread concern, not only among linguists and anthropologists but among all concerned with issues of cultural identity in an increasingly globalized culture. By some counts, only 600 of the 6,000 or so languages in the world are ‘safe’ from the threat of extinction. A leading commentator and popular writer on language issues, David Crystal asks the fundamental question, ‘Why is language death so important?’, reviews the reasons for the current crisis, and investigates what is being done to reduce its impact. The book contains not only intelligent argument, but moving descriptions of the decline and demise of particular languages, and practical advice for anyone interested in pursuing the subject further.
See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
First Sentence
The phrase 'language death' sounds as stark and final as any other in which that word makes its unwelcome appearance. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
 
rls
linguistics
language
david crystal

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Language Death (Canto)
74% buy the item featured on this page:
Language Death (Canto) 4.5 out of 5 stars (2)
£8.53
Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World's Languages
9% buy
Vanishing Voices: The Extinction of the World's Languages 5.0 out of 5 stars (3)
£7.69
Spoken Here: Travel among Threatened Languages
7% buy
Spoken Here: Travel among Threatened Languages 4.4 out of 5 stars (10)
£6.73
An Introduction to Middle English
6% buy
An Introduction to Middle English 5.0 out of 5 stars (1)
£11.99
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

2 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (2 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Introduction, 9 Jan 2005
By Laszlo Wagner (Hungary) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This slim book is perhaps the best one in which to start reading about the danger of massive extinction of languages in our world.
The author, who claims to care much about this worrying issue despite admittedly never having spent longer periods in any endangered language environment, does a pretty good job systematically examining the causes of language death and what could be done to halt the process. He not only points out the fact that often communities themselves are to blame for not doing enough to pass on their native tongues to the following generation, but also examines what may have lead them to do so.
One shortcoming of the book is that very few actual "real-life" cases are mentioned to illustrate his points and breathe life into the subject, and those few cases that are mentioned only get a few lines - this leaves the text somewhat dry and academic.
He has also devoted one chapter to "Why should we care?", and as usual in books about this issue, that is where his writing is weakest. I found his arguments rather unconvincing, but also unnecessary - I personally don't feel the need to have practical arguments to care about preserving languages, which I think should be considered valuable in their own right.
A valuable extra in the book is the appendix listing organizations devoted to the preservation of endangered languages worldwide.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling, inspiring, provoking., 5 Mar 2003
Having an interest in lesser used languages and a high regard for the author (acclaimed linguist, David Crystal) I purchased this book. I just could not put it down, until I had read from cover to cover. The most compelling, stimulating, enlightening and thought provoking language book I have ever picked up. Definately not one to pass by. I give this book my highest reccomendation.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Look for similar items by subject











i.e., each product must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback

Ad

Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.