English in Perspective

A textbook of language study for trainee teachers.

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What is the real status of English in the world, and in South Africa in particular? South Africa has 11 official languages, and purports to uphold equal rights for all. However, English continues to wield immense official and unofficial power. Many English second- or additional-language speakers in South Africa are sacrificing or "diluting" their primary languages and cultures in the quest to take up and use the power in a world language. "English in Perspective" uses a wealth of local texts to explore how English is spoken and written. It questions the dominance of English and wrestles with some of the complexities arising from language use and change in a multilingual society.