The Ecology of Language in Multilingual India: Voices of Women and Educators in the Himalayan Foothills

Description

This book explores the linguistic ecology of the Kumaun region of Uttarakhand, India through the experiences and discourses of minority youth and their educators. Providing in-depth examples of Indian multilingualism, this volume analyses how each language is valued in its own context; how national-level policies are appropriated and contested in local discourses; and how language and culture influence educational opportunities and identity negotiation for Kumauni young women. In doing so, the author examines how students and educators navigate a multilingual society with similarly diverse classroom practices. She simultaneously critiques the language and education system in modern India and highlights alternative perspectives on empowerment through the lens of a unique Gandhian educational context. This volume allows Kumauni women and their educators to take centre stage, and provides a thoughtful and nuanced insight into their minority language environment. This unique book is sure to appeal to students and scholars of multilingualism, sociolinguistics, language policy and minority languages. Front Matter ....Pages i-ix Introduction: Ecological Metaphors, Minority Voices, and Language Education in the Kumaun (Cynthia Groff)....Pages 1-19 Lakshmi Ashram and the Kumaun: Young Women and Gandhian Educators in Their Linguistic and Educational Context (Cynthia Groff)....Pages 21-43 National-Level Language and Education Policies in India: Kumaunis as Linguistic Minorities (Cynthia Groff)....Pages 45-79 Language and Ethnography: Conducting Research in the Kumaun (Cynthia Groff)....Pages 81-108 Language Use and Language Labels in Community: Bhasha and Boli (Cynthia Groff)....Pages 109-134 Mother Tongue and Medium of Instruction: Official and Unofficial Language Choices in the Kumaun (Cynthia Groff)....Pages 135-156 Language Ecology in the Kumaun: The Value of Each and Relationships Among Them (Cynthia Groff)....Pages 157-201 Young Women, Aims, and Education in the Kumaun (Cynthia Groff)....Pages 203-223 Empowerment, Moving Forward, and Alternative Values in Education (Cynthia Groff)....Pages 225-258 Conclusions: The Ecology of Language and Biliteracy in the Kumaun and Beyond (Cynthia Groff)....Pages 259-274 Back Matter ....Pages 275-311