The Writing's on the Wall: Spaces for Language-Independent and Language-Based Literacies

Autor/in	Lüpke, Friederike
Titel	The Writing's on the Wall: Spaces for Language-Independent and Language-Based Literacies
Quelle	In: International Journal of Multilingualism, 17 (2020) 3, S.382-403 (22 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1479-0718
DOI	10.1080/14790718.2020.1766466
Schlagwörter	Multilingualism; Writing (Composition); Case Studies; Classification; Intention; Language Usage; Holistic Approach; Language Planning; Second Language Learning; Code Switching (Language); Foreign Countries; Written Language; Islam; Afro Asiatic Languages; Semitic Languages; African Languages; French; Signs; Mali + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Mehrsprachigkeit; Multilingualismus; Schreibübung; Case study; Fallstudie; Case Study; Classification system; Klassifikation; Klassifikationssystem; Sprachgebrauch; Holistischer Ansatz; Sprachwechsel; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Ausland; Geschriebene Sprache; Arabisch; Hebräisch; Africa; Language; Languages; Afrika; Sprachen; Afrikanische Sprache; Französisch; Zeichensystem
Abstract	This article investigates what is commonly called multilingual writing. Based on case studies from Mali, and drawing on a number of West African settings, it argues that in fact, not all 'multilingual' writing is in effect multilingual. The article proposes a two-tiered classification of types of writing, based on linguistic properties of texts and the differing perspectives of writers and readers. This analysis contrasts writers' intentions to write (in) a particular language vs. to mobilise linguistic resources in a more holistic manner. The latter type of writing, it is argued, is better characterised as language-independent, since writers do not draw borders between what can be analysed as different languages from a code-based perspective often applied by analysts. The co-existence, spaces, and potentials of language-based and language-independent writing are examined in detail. This type of writing is invisible to language planners and often taken to be unreadable, akin to the mythical writing on the wall inspiring the title of the paper. Yet, in contexts with low educational resources and great linguistic diversity, language-independent writing presents a resilient and underappreciated alternative to language-based literacies. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01