Language, Communication, and Culture

Current Directions

Published in cooperation with the Speech Communication Association Division on International and Intercultural Communication. A diverse multicultural team of experts assembled for this compelling volume voice the importance of understanding language, communication, and culture. They discuss the critical role of language usage through communication to assert and negotiate different facets of identity, and relate the different levels and functions of language usage to the collective life of a culture. Each author discusses the interlinkage between language and communication based on his or her points of research interest and orientation. Topics addressed include the importance of studying the relationships between language and society; the relationship between language and identities--personal identity, social role identity, and cultural/ethnolinguistic identity; and the multiple functions and meanings of language and communication in relationship to culture. Taken together, the three approaches in this volume reflect the current trends and directions of multidisciplinary nature of studying language, communication and culture. Language, Communication, and Culture reflects the current ideas and approaches of scholars working in the disciplines of psychology, linguistics, sociolinguistics, intergroup relations, and communication. It will appeal to scholars, researchers, and students who are intrigued and enticed by the fascinating, multifaceted aspects of language. "The book makes a unique contribution to the literature in that it includes a balance of theoretical discussion of issues such as language development, use, and function, as well as a variety of analytical approaches and intergroup data-based studies. . . .Language, Communication and Culture is a book which extends our knowledge about the structures, functions, and implications of language use across cultures. Ting-Toomey and Korzenny have provided a worthwhile sourcebook for those of us researching culture, and a particularly useful book for graduate level or advanced undergraduate coursework in language and/or culture." --International Journal of Intercultural Relations "This is an important volume and will prove invaluable to gamers interested in the communication and the cultural aspects of simulation." --Simulation & Gaming "This collection . . . is a well-organized presentation of current research on the relationships among intercultural communication processes from differing perspectives." --The Modern Language Journal "This book will interest academic specialists in language and communication and their graduate students." --Academic Library Book Review "On the whole, the papers are coherent and well integrated into the research literature." --Canadian Journal of Communication "The contributors'arguments are diverse but interlinked and provide a critical perspective on the theme of language and communication in cross-cultural contexts. . . . Adds to several important studies about the language/culture nexus and favors the current climate of cultural pluralism and multilingualism to promote liberal ethnic identity." --Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology