Language as Symbolic Power

Key Topics in Applied Linguistics

by Claire Kramsch

Language is not simply a tool for communication - symbolic power struggles underlie any speech act, discourse move, or verbal interaction, be it in face-to-face conversations, online tweets or political debates. This book provides a clear and accessible introduction to the topic of language and power from an applied linguistics perspective. It is clearly split into three the power of symbolic representation, the power of symbolic action and the power to create symbolic reality. It draws upon a wide range of existing work by philosophers, sociolinguists, sociologists and applied linguists, and includes current real-world examples, to provide a fresh insight into a topic that is of particular significance and interest in the current political climate and in our increasingly digital age. The book shows the workings of language as symbolic power in educational, social, cultural and political settings and discusses ways to respond to and even resist symbolic violence.

292 pages, Paperback

Published October 29, 2020

About the author

Claire J. Kramsch has been Professor of German and Foreign Language Acquisition at the University of Berkeley since 1989. She is also director of the Berkeley Language Centre and teaches in the School of Education. Her fields of interest are second language acquisition, applied linguistics, discourse analysis and social and cultural theory.

Claire Kramsch is co-editor of Applied Linguistics, author of Language and Culture and the award-winning Context and Culture in Language Teaching published by Oxford University Press.

In 1998, the President of Germany awarded Claire Kramsch the coveted Goethe Medal of the Goethe Institute for her achievements in promoting intercultural understanding between Germany and the U.S.A.