The Language of Postcolonial Literatures: An Introduction

Front Cover
Psychology Press, 2002 - 182 pages

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to some of the central features of language in a wide variety of postcolonial texts.
The Language of Postcolonial Literatures draws on a range of writers, from Jean Rhys and Derek Walcott to Chinua Achebe, Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Nuruddin Farah and Salman Rushdie, to show how English has been shaped by and had to contend with other languages in former British colonies. Exploring literatures from a range of countries including India, Nigeria, Canada, Australia, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and the Caribbean, Talib shows how individuals retain cultural and national identity in the face of such changes. The book further demonstrates that language is one of the central concerns of postcolonial literatures.
The Language of Postcolonial Literatures is invaluable for anyone with an interest in the evolution and development of English and its use in contemporary world literatures.

 

Selected pages

Contents

Anticolonialism in Scottish Welsh
21
AngloSaxon transplantations
47
Orality writing and what English brings
71
Decolonisation and the survival of English
104
Style languages politics and acceptability
118
Hows the mixture? English dialects
137
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The Language of Postcolonial Literatures: An Introduction
Ismail S. Talib
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Common terms and phrases

Aboriginal According Achebe Achebe's African literature attitude audience Australian authors Britain British colonies British English Caribbean Celtic languages century character code-mixing code-switching context countries creole cultural imperialism Dasenbrock 1992 described dialects of English distinct dominance England English language English literature ethnic European example f-word fucking Gaelic Gikuyu Gilbert and Tompkins Igbo important Indian language indigenous influence introduction of writing Ireland James Kelman Jussawala and Dasenbrock Kelman lexical items linguistic literary literature in English literature written Maori nationalism nationalist native language Ngũgĩ Ngugi's Nigerian non-English noted novel oral literature oral tradition pidgins and creoles play poem poet poetry political postcolonial literatures R.S. Thomas readers regarded Rushdie Salman Rushdie Sam Selvon Scotland Scots Scottish Scottish Gaelic seen Selvon settler colonies South African speak speakers spoken standard English tongue translation varieties of English Welsh white settler colonies Wilkinson 1992 words writing in English written literature

References to this book

About the author (2002)

Ismail S.Talib is a Senior Lecturer at the National University of Singapore.

Bibliographic information

TitleThe Language of Postcolonial Literatures: An Introduction
AuthorIsmail S. Talib
PublisherPsychology Press, 2002
ISBN0415240182, 9780415240185
Length182 pages
  
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