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The Language Revolution
We are living through the consequences of a linguistic revolution. Dramatic linguistic change has left us at the beginning of a new era in the evolution of human language, with repercussions for many individual languages.
In this book, David Crystal, one of the world's authorities on language, brings together for the first time the three major trends which he argues have fundamentally altered the world's linguistic ecology: first, the emergence of English as the world's first truly global language; second, the crisis facing huge numbers of languages which are currently endangered or dying; and, third, the radical effect on language of the arrival of Internet technology.
Examining the interrelationships between these topics, Crystal encounters a vision of a linguistic future which is radically different from what has existed in the past, and which will make us revise many cherished concepts relating to the way we think about and work with languages. Everyone is affected by this linguistic revolution.
The Language Revolution will be essential reading for anyone interested in language and communication in the twenty-first century.
In this book, David Crystal, one of the world's authorities on language, brings together for the first time the three major trends which he argues have fundamentally altered the world's linguistic ecology: first, the emergence of English as the world's first truly global language; second, the crisis facing huge numbers of languages which are currently endangered or dying; and, third, the radical effect on language of the arrival of Internet technology.
Examining the interrelationships between these topics, Crystal encounters a vision of a linguistic future which is radically different from what has existed in the past, and which will make us revise many cherished concepts relating to the way we think about and work with languages. Everyone is affected by this linguistic revolution.
The Language Revolution will be essential reading for anyone interested in language and communication in the twenty-first century.
152 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 2004
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94 people want to read
About the author
David Crystal
230 books772 followersDavid Crystal works from his home in Holyhead, North Wales, as a writer, editor, lecturer, and broadcaster. Born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland in 1941, he spent his early years in Holyhead. His family moved to Liverpool in 1951, and he received his secondary schooling at St Mary's College. He read English at University College London (1959-62), specialised in English language studies, did some research there at the Survey of English Usage under Randolph Quirk (1962-3), then joined academic life as a lecturer in linguistics, first at Bangor, then at Reading. He published the first of his 100 or so books in 1964, and became known chiefly for his research work in English language studies, in such fields as intonation and stylistics, and in the application of linguistics to religious, educational and clinical contexts, notably in the development of a range of linguistic profiling techniques for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. He held a chair at the University of Reading for 10 years, and is now Honorary Professor of Linguistics at the University of Wales, Bangor. These days he divides his time between work on language and work on internet applications.
source: http://www.davidcrystal.com/
source: http://www.davidcrystal.com/
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 2, 2008
Love this book. Crystal talks about the globalization of the English language, computers' affects on communication and other contemporary changes in writing and speaking. And it's succinct. Love it.
January 2, 2018
Succinct as it is, I would only recommend the first two chapters of the book.
Chapter 3 is dated, and Chapter 4 and 5 all work to serve one purpose: To raise the awareness of the danger of language death.
However chapter 1 and 2 matched the title: revolution. I think the book revolutionised my thoughts (well I haven't had any before) on the future of the global language-English, as well as on the future of languages as a whole.
For English, there will only be "Englishes", as a "family" of languages. And also, time to see Chinglish and Japlish as a true language: not as a scornful appellation, but as a neutral and inevitable trend in response to the need to express national identities.
For languages as a whole, "language integration" is the correct attitude towards an ever growing amounts of loan words. And the most importantly, we should be fully aware of language death and the urgency to preserve those in question.
However, I found his arguments on language preservation less convincing. Maybe it is just me. But I do realised how an individual human should be responsible for preserving the global heritage-language diversity.
At last, I wish to quote from one of the book's quotes: “Every language is a temple, in which the soul of those who speak it is enshrined.”
Chapter 3 is dated, and Chapter 4 and 5 all work to serve one purpose: To raise the awareness of the danger of language death.
However chapter 1 and 2 matched the title: revolution. I think the book revolutionised my thoughts (well I haven't had any before) on the future of the global language-English, as well as on the future of languages as a whole.
For English, there will only be "Englishes", as a "family" of languages. And also, time to see Chinglish and Japlish as a true language: not as a scornful appellation, but as a neutral and inevitable trend in response to the need to express national identities.
For languages as a whole, "language integration" is the correct attitude towards an ever growing amounts of loan words. And the most importantly, we should be fully aware of language death and the urgency to preserve those in question.
However, I found his arguments on language preservation less convincing. Maybe it is just me. But I do realised how an individual human should be responsible for preserving the global heritage-language diversity.
At last, I wish to quote from one of the book's quotes: “Every language is a temple, in which the soul of those who speak it is enshrined.”
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April 19, 2025دیوید کریستال، زبانشناس انگلیسی و استاد دانشگاه ویلز، در پاسخ به این پرسش که چرا زبان انگلیسی بهعنوان زبان رسمی دنیا برگزیده شده است، اذعان میکند که زبان انگلیسی دارای هیچ ویژگی ذاتی نیست. نه تلفّظ و نه املای واژگان آن آسانتر از زبانهای دیگر است و نه گرامر آن سادهتر میباشد. زبانها فقط به یک دلیل میتوانند تبدیل به زبانی بینالمللی شوند و آن چیزی نیست جز قدرت سیاسی، صنعتی، اقتصادی و فرهنگیِ مردمی که به آن زبان سخن میگویند (کریستال، ۱۳۸۵: ۲۲). چنانکه نویسندۀ مشهور انگلیسی، سامِرسِت موآم، معتقد است دستور زبان انگلیسی بسیار دشوار است و کمتر نویسندگانی را میتوان یافت که در مورد آن از اشتباه مصون مانده باشند (موآم، ۱۳۴۳: ۳۹).
منابع:
_ کریستال، دیوید، ۱۳۸۵، انقلاب زبانی، ترجمه شهرام نقش تبریزی، تهران، ققنوس.
_ موآم، سامرست، ۱۳۴۳، حاصل عمر، ترجمه عبدالله آزادیان، تهران، شرکت سازمان کتابهای جیبی.
January 12, 2018
37 - 2018
May 13, 2016
If the reader has not read any of David Crystal's previous books The Language Revolution would be a good place to start. However, if you are already a fan and have read widely in Crystal's work, the reader may find this effort on the repetitive side.
That said Language Revolution functions as a good refresher course on the author/linguist's general ideas about the past, present, and future of language.
Futurism, generally, is a very poor guide for the future, but the linguistic speculation here is compelling and well-reasoned, for that reason alone this is a book worth reading.
Recommended for linguistic and historical wonks/nerds and those wishing to become one or both of these.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
That said Language Revolution functions as a good refresher course on the author/linguist's general ideas about the past, present, and future of language.
Futurism, generally, is a very poor guide for the future, but the linguistic speculation here is compelling and well-reasoned, for that reason alone this is a book worth reading.
Recommended for linguistic and historical wonks/nerds and those wishing to become one or both of these.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
March 7, 2016
Chapters 1 and 2 are outstanding, and the reason I read this book in the first place. Chapter 3 was boring and outdated. Additionally, some of the data is presented as "I guess," "My feelings are...". This is unfortunate because a quick google of some of the information proves it wrong. Anyway, moving on to chapters 4 and 5, I was expecting more, and they are somewhat conversational in style. The conclusions are not very compelling.
I highly recommend chapters 1 and 2, but you may skip the rest of it. More 3 than 4 stars, but I will leave it at 4.
I highly recommend chapters 1 and 2, but you may skip the rest of it. More 3 than 4 stars, but I will leave it at 4.
April 8, 2008
A collection of essays on the impact of the internet on language. Interesting, though now slightly dated (published 2004).
December 30, 2009
Everyone should take a look at this wonderful exploration of the evolution and loss of language in today's global society.
June 29, 2016
A brief summary of Crystal last worries. A good read on nowadays linguistic topics that opens the path to thicker books...
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews