The Ecology of Language in Multilingual India

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

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2. Introduction: Ecological Metaphors, Minority Voices, and Language Education in the Kumaun

   • Cynthia Groff

   Pages 1-19

3. Lakshmi Ashram and the Kumaun: Young Women and Gandhian Educators in Their Linguistic and Educational Context

   • Cynthia Groff

   Pages 21-43

4. National-Level Language and Education Policies in India: Kumaunis as Linguistic Minorities

   • Cynthia Groff

   Pages 45-79

5. Language and Ethnography: Conducting Research in the Kumaun

   • Cynthia Groff

   Pages 81-108

6. Language Use and Language Labels in Community: Bhasha and Boli

   • Cynthia Groff

   Pages 109-134

7. Mother Tongue and Medium of Instruction: Official and Unofficial Language Choices in the Kumaun

   • Cynthia Groff

   Pages 135-156

8. Language Ecology in the Kumaun: The Value of Each and Relationships Among Them

   • Cynthia Groff

   Pages 157-201

9. Young Women, Aims, and Education in the Kumaun

   • Cynthia Groff

   Pages 203-223

10. Empowerment, Moving Forward, and Alternative Values in Education

    • Cynthia Groff

    Pages 225-258

11. Conclusions: The Ecology of Language and Biliteracy in the Kumaun and Beyond

    • Cynthia Groff

    Pages 259-274

12. Back Matter

    Pages 275-311

    PDF

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 bookis sure to appeal to students and scholars of multilingualism, sociolinguistics, language policy and minority languages.
 

 

• anthropology
• Asia
• Asian languages
• ecology
• India
• linguistics
• literature
• multilingualism
• social science
• sociolinguistics
• women
• minority languages

“Cynthia Groff invites readers to get to know Kumani young women’s multilingualism, literacy practices, and lives – as told in their own words and stories. Drawing on her experiences living and learning with them at Lakshmi Ashram in northern India, Groff eloquently shows how the young women’s experiences entwine with the school’s Gandhian vision of empowerment. (Nancy Hornberger, University of Pennsylvania, USA)

“Cynthia Groff's ethnographic work in the Kumaun region of India offers an excellent kaleidoscopic view of multilingualism from a folk perspective and an insightful analysis of the complexities and challenges of some core issues in multilingualism — the fluidity of linguistic boundaries and the hierarchical relationships among languages. The work shows a deep engagement with the current concerns in respect of language policies and practices in multilingual societies.” (Ajit Mohanty, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India)

“Cynthia Groff’s book is a major achievement andcontribution in the field of Educational Linguistics. The carefully observed, often lyrical, rendering of ethnographic detail is punctuated by astute insights about the language ecology in the Kumaun region of India. Connections are highlighted between Indian language policy, language ideologies, and the educational experiences of a group of girls in a Gandhian boarding school. The girls are the heart of the book and, by highlighting their beliefs and experiences, Groff gives voice to those who have traditionally been quieted, in India and throughout the world.” (David Cassels Johnson, University of Iowa, USA)

• Leiden University, The Hague, The Netherlands

  Cynthia Groff

Cynthia Groff is Guest Researcher at Leiden University, Netherlands. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, she has conducted post-doctoral research through Université Laval, Québec, Canada, and the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Iztapalapa, Mexico.  

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