language and economy – Page 3 – Language on the Move

English propaganda creates blind spots

"Imported Teacher", the British Council's new campaign in Thailand As a language educator in Thailand my in-box is always full of invitations to conferences devoted to ASEAN and English language…

Kimie Takahashi 高橋君江September 20, 2012

Bangladeshi manager speaking English and subtitled in British educational video “How fair is fashion”

English as a global language

Illegitimate English

Bangladeshi manager speaking English and subtitled in British educational video "How fair is fashion?" The other day I watched a show about global textile production. How fair is fashion? by…

Ingrid PillerAugust 27, 2012

Language and migration

Pakistani flour mill workers recovering from a near-fatal lung infection due to poor occupational health and safety conditions, West Ham Hospital, 1960s (Source: Qureshi 2012, p. 7) To be transnational…

Ingrid PillerJuly 24, 2012

Language learning

Schools transforming multilinguals into illiterates?

Mehrsprachige Buecher - multilingual books - ketabhaye chand zabane The release of the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2011 Census of Population data is an invitation to reflect on the composition…

Susana EisenchlasJuly 13, 2012

Language and migration

Shopping while bilingual can make you sick

WSB TV report: Apple discriminates against Persian-speaking customers I’ve just found an e-mail from Apple in my spam folder with a ‘personal’ invitation to attend one of their new store…

Ingrid PillerJune 27, 2012

Multilingual families

The high price of multilingualism

The high price of multilingualism When society doesn’t value something you, as an individual, do, you, the individual, end up paying for society’s lack of valuation. That’s the case with…

Christof Demont-HeinrichJune 18, 2012

English as a global language

Globalisation and nationalism

Many things have changed in Australia since I first came here in the mid-1990s. One of these is a noticeable increase in displays of national ardour: for instance, there is…

Ingrid PillerApril 20, 2012

Language at work

The sociolinguistics of nail care

Have you recently had a manicure or a pedicure? I haven’t. In fact, I’ve never been to a nail salon in my life. Until about a decade ago that would…

Ingrid PillerFebruary 27, 2012

English as a global language

Language shift and phone sex

Ever since I left my native village in the Bavarian Forest more than 25 years ago, I have been returning for regular, even if infrequent, visits. Over the years, there…

Ingrid PillerFebruary 15, 2012

Language at work

Language costs

USD 254,000: that is the cost of raising two children bilingually in English and German in Denver, Colorado. That’s a lot of money, and inspired me to do some number-crunching…

Ingrid PillerNovember 25, 2011

English as a global language

Free language choice?

Pretty much everyone I know wants to learn English or improve their English – with the exception of those who consider themselves native speakers, obviously. What is more, everyone I…

Ingrid PillerAugust 16, 2011