Playing with Languages
Description
Over several generations villagers of Dominica have been shifting from Patwa, an Afro-French creole, to English, the official language. Despite government efforts at Patwa revitalization and cultural heritage tourism, rural caregivers and teachers prohibit children from speaking Patwa in their presence. Drawing on detailed ethnographic fieldwork and analysis of video-recorded social interaction in naturalistic home, school, village and urban settings, the study explores this paradox and examines the role of children and their social worlds. It offers much-needed insights into the study of language socialization, language shift and Caribbean children's agency and social lives, contributing to the burgeoning interdisciplinary study of children's cultures. Further, it demonstrates the critical role played by children in the transmission and transformation of linguistic practices, which ultimately may determine the fate of a language.
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Person
Amy L. Paugh is Associate Professor of Anthropology at James Madison University. Her research investigates language socialization, children's cultures and language ideologies in the Caribbean and United States.
Content
List of Maps, Figures, and Tables
Acknowledgments
Note on Transcription Conventions
Introduction
Chapter 1. Discourses of Differentiation, Unity, and Identity
Chapter 2. Childhood in a Village "Behind God's Back"
Chapter 3. Learning English: Language Ideologies and Practices in the Classroom and Home
Chapter 4. Becoming "Good for Oneself": Patwa and Autonomy in Language Socialization
Chapter 5. Negotiating Play: Children's Code-switching as Symbolic Resource
Chapter 6. Acting Adult: Children's Language Use in Imaginary Play
Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
