The Role of English in Post-Colonial Sri Lanka
The Role of English in Post-Colonial Sri Lanka

Author: Katherine Robinson

Publisher:

Published: 2017

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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The main objective of this thesis is to understand the role of English in post-colonial Sri Lanka. The particular focus is on the way in which language is tied to identity and how the superimposition of English on the island during British colonization has changed the status of English both in political policy and in education. Through the lenses of globalization and post-colonial theory, Sri Lankas relationship with English is considered. The status of English is determined in two separate ways: the first of which being how English is a positive tool that one can use to gain societal, political, and economic benefits. Secondly, English is examined in the way that it influences identity, and how perception of English speakers in Sri Lanka leads to the way speaking English can be used to ornament oneself and boost their status in society. The methods of education and why students struggle to learn English form the primary goal of this research, which is to examine the weaknesses of Sri Lankas national education program in regard to English in a rapidly globalizing world.

Sri Lankans' Views on English in the Colonial and Post-Colonial Eras
Sri Lankans' Views on English in the Colonial and Post-Colonial Eras

Author: Dr. Subathini Ramesh

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2020-02-18

Total Pages: 170

ISBN-13: 1527547205

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This book evaluates the views of different ethnic groups towards the English language in Sri Lanka for a period of almost two centuries. While a few studies have addressed the subject of English in Sri Lanka in a general way, there has been no research showing the specifics of English usage in the major ethnic communities of the country. This text considers notions and attitudes towards English that prevail in Sri Lanka today among writers, language planners, teachers and students, habitual speakers, and infrequent users, as well as elite and non-elite groups in the country. The book also examines colonial and postcolonial writings in three communities, namely the Sri Lankan diaspora and the Tamil and Sinhala communities.

De-Hegemonizing Language Standards
De-Hegemonizing Language Standards

Author: A. Parakrama

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-12-17

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 0230371302

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This study first establishes the discriminatroy and elitist nature of standard languages and standardisation itself, considering as counter-example the case of Sri Lankan English as symptomatic of the 'other' or postcolonial Englishes. On the basis of this understanding of the standard, while at the same time, accepting the necessity of standards, however attenuated, the writer argues for the active broadening of the standard to include the greatest variety possible - privileging 'meaning' over other rules - and holds that this would in fact work towards extending the bounds of linguistic tolerance.

Post-colonial Curriculum Practices in South Asia
Post-colonial Curriculum Practices in South Asia

Author: Asantha U. Attanayake

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-07-10

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13: 1351129783

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Post-colonial Curriculum Practices in South Asia gives a conceptual framework for curriculum design for English Language Teaching, taking into account context specific features in the teaching–learning settings of post-colonial South Asia. It reveals how the attitudes prevalent in post-colonial South Asian societies towards English negatively influence English language learning. The book provides a comprehensive analysis to design a course for English language teaching that aims at building learner confidence to speak English. Based on original research, the study covers Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The book focuses on the context-specific nature of learners and considers a curriculum design that binds teaching materials and teaching methods together with an aligned assessment. Chapters discuss language attitudes, learner characteristics and English in the context of native languages, and introduce a special type of anxiety that stems from existing language attitudes in a society, referred to as Language Attitude Anxiety. The book will appeal to doctoral and post-doctoral scholars in English language education, students and researchers of sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics as well as curriculum designers of ELT and language policy makers.

The Politics of English as a World Language
The Politics of English as a World Language

Author:

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2003-01-01

Total Pages: 519

ISBN-13: 9401200920

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The complex politics of English as a world language provides the backdrop both for linguistic studies of varieties of English around the world and for postcolonial literary criticism. The present volume offers contributions from linguists and literary scholars that explore this common ground in a spirit of open interdisciplinary dialogue. Leading authorities assess the state of the art to suggest directions for further research, with substantial case studies ranging over a wide variety of topics - from the legitimacy of language norms of lingua franca communication to the recognition of newer post-colonial varieties of English in the online OED. Four regional sections treat the Caribbean (including the diaspora), Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Australasia and the Pacific Rim. Each section maintains a careful balance between linguistics and literature, and external and indigenous perspectives on issues. The book is the most balanced, complete and up-to-date treatment of the topic to date.

De-hegemonizing Language Standards
De-hegemonizing Language Standards

Author: Arjuna Parakrama

Publisher: Macmillan Pub Limited

Published: 1995-01-01

Total Pages: 216

ISBN-13: 9780333616352

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Here, an examination of so-called uneducated and otherwise non-standard usage in the Sri Lankan context, including popular cultural and protest writing and speech, shows that Sri Lankans communicate powerfully and creatively in this medium. The legitimization of this practice on the margins leads to a de-hegemonizing of language standards. What can be seen in the Sri Lankan context is not specific to it, but shown to be typical of all languages in use, and, in an analogous argument, the claim is extended from the narrowly linguistic sphere to the much broader field of discursive practice in general.

The usage of intensifiers in Sri Lankan English. A corpus-based study
The usage of intensifiers in Sri Lankan English. A corpus-based study

Author: Michelle Blum

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2021-09-27

Total Pages: 21

ISBN-13: 3346499405

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Essay from the year 2019 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 13, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, language: English, abstract: Intensifiers - very small words, but with a very strong impact on language use. In fact, it could be argued that they are so important to study due to their ever-changing nature. Murphy, in 2010, even stated that "the most rapid and the most interesting semantic developments in linguistic change are said to occur with intensifiers." But why are intensifiers used? According to Hu, in 2013, they arise out of "a speaker or writer’s desire to be “original” to demonstrate verbal skills, and to capture the attention of an audience". An even more intriguing part of intensifiers is that this does not seem to work at times. According to Wright, in 1995, "the most interesting finding about intensifiers is that they do not seem to affect listeners in the way intended by speakers". Wright argued that advertisements, for instance, worked less well when an intensifier was added, since they seemed to influence the viewer in a negative way and seemed to take away from the product. However, while researchers disagree on the exact reasons to research intensifiers, be they investigating a speaker’s wish for originality, language change, or the fact that intensifiers do, at times, negatively impact the recipient of the intensification, the fact still stands that they are worth investigating. Sri Lanka is a comparatively small island state south of India. It only recently, in 2009, finally escaped the clutches of colonialism and civil war. Today, it comes into its own more and more, and is finally able to rewrite history on its own terms. Sri Lankan English is a fresh, new research ground that offers a variety of opportunities for the advancement of learning.

The Handbook of Asian Englishes
The Handbook of Asian Englishes

Author: Kingsley Bolton

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2020-09-14

Total Pages: 928

ISBN-13: 1118791657

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The first volume of its kind, focusing on the sociolinguistic and socio-political issues surrounding Asian Englishes The Handbook of Asian Englishes provides wide-ranging coverage of the historical and cultural context, contemporary dynamics, and linguistic features of English in use throughout the Asian region. This first-of-its-kind volume offers a wide-ranging exploration of the English language throughout nations in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Contributions by a team of internationally-recognized linguists and scholars of Asian Englishes and Asian languages survey existing works and review new and emerging areas of research in the field. Edited by internationally renowned scholars in the field and structured in four parts, this Handbook explores the status and functions of English in the educational institutions, legal systems, media, popular cultures, and religions of diverse Asian societies. In addition to examining nation-specific topics, this comprehensive volume presents articles exploring pan-Asian issues such as English in Asian schools and universities, English and language policies in the Asian region, and the statistics of English across Asia. Up-to-date research addresses the impact of English as an Asian lingua franca, globalization and Asian Englishes, the dynamics of multilingualism, and more. Examines linguistic history, contemporary linguistic issues, and English in the Outer and Expanding Circles of Asia Focuses on the rapidly-growing complexities of English throughout Asia Includes reviews of the new frontiers of research in Asian Englishes, including the impact of globalization and popular culture Presents an innovative survey of Asian Englishes in one comprehensive volume Serving as an important contribution to fields such as contact linguistics, World Englishes, sociolinguistics, and Asian language studies, The Handbook of Asian Englishes is an invaluable reference resource for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and instructors across these areas. Winner of the 2021 PROSE Humanities Category for Language & Linguistics