Linguistic Genocide in Education--or Worldwide Diversity and Human Rights (review)

The main premise of the book is that linguistic, cultural, and biological diversity are intimately connected and, with reference to minorities, all are in mortal peril. If present trends continue, according to the author, within the next 100 years 90% of linguistic diversity will perish, a phenomenon she calls ‘linguistic genocide’. This decrease is not normal or accidental but is the result of deliberate efforts by leaders of nation-states to linguistically and culturally homogenize their societies by eliminating minority languages through formal educational systems and the mass media. To counteract these trends, she advocates the formulation and implementation of linguistic rights modeled after human rights already enshrined in a number of international treaties and documents.

The book consists of three parts. Part 1, titled ‘Setting the scene’, consists of four chapters devoted to a discussion of such topics as the present ‘health’ of the world’s languages, the relationship between linguistic, cultural, and biological diversity, definitions of important concepts relevant to a discussion of linguistic diversity (mother tongue, culture, ethnicity, self-determination, etc.), the pros and cons of linguistic diversity, and prospects for linguistic diversity in the world over the next 100 years.

Part 2, titled ‘Linguistic genocide, state policies, and globalization’, consists of two chapters dealing with the impact of state policies and globalization on linguistic diversity. The author argues that the centralization of power and control over resources is behind linguistic genocide and language death.

Part 3, ‘Struggle against linguistic genocide and for linguistic human rights in education’, consists of three chapters covering such topics as linguistic human rights in general and linguistic human rights in education, with the last chapters proposing remedies to ameliorate the deteriorating situation of linguistic diversity in the world today. The author feels that the development and implementation of linguistic human rights will require fundamental alteration of the distribution of the world’s material resources and power relations. This will involve breaking up the monopolistic concentration of material and political power in the hands of transnational corporations, or put another way, reversing globalization. A tall order indeed!

This book, according to the author, is intended for a large audience, including students, teachers, and others interested in applied, socio-, and ethnolinguistics, ESL/EFL, critical pedagogy, human rights, educational administrators, policy planners and implementers in minority and bilingual education, health workers specializing in minority or intercultural affairs, parents of minority children, minority leaders and lobbyists, and politicians (xv). However, many of the potential readers of this book may not read it for at least two reasons: The title, specifically the use of the word ‘genocide’ in reference to linguistic processes, and the overt ideological tone of the discussion throughout may alienate some readers. The second potential barrier may be the length of the book, over 700 pages of dense text. Those readers who can overcome these barriers will be richly rewarded with a wealth of linguistic information and some uncommon insights about linguistic processes.

Most of the chapters include different types of information set off in boxes (Definition Boxes, Address Boxes, Reader Task Boxes, Information and Insert Boxes) that provide the reader with examples and illustrations relevant to the issues discussed in the text. The book is a treasure trove of information, both quantitative and qualitative, which in the hands of less advocacy-minded linguists could be used to generate and test hypotheses in both theoretical and applied linguistics