Bent Preisler

Deconstructing ?the domain of science? as a sociolinguistic entity in EFL societies: The relationship between English and Danish in higher education and research

Introduction

Deconstructing ?the domain of science? as a sociolinguistic entity in efl societies: the relationship between english and danish in higher education and research. Deconstructs English-Danish linguistic dynamics in higher education. Examines "domain of science" loss in teaching vs. functional distribution in research.

Abstract

Preisler introduces the Danish debate concerning the influence of English on Danish language and language use, and ? drawing on previous research ? describes what he sees as the two ?sides? in the debate: (1) the ?followers,? i.e. the vast majority of the population whose attitude to English is simply instrumental, and who embrace the influence of English as a manifestation of internationalization; (2) ?the concerned,? a small but influential minority whose views on the influence of English are more critical, and who represent the cultural elite. He then takes a quick detour into postmodernism, deconstructing the concepts of ?Language? and ?Domain,? and redefining the latter as ?practice? in an ethnographic sense. Taking a closer look at the relationship between English and Danish within one particular ?domain,? the ?domain of science,? where English is often thought to have won out, he shows that this is really two domains (i.e. practices): the domain of university research, and that of university teaching. Only in the domain of university teaching does it make sense to talk about a potential ?domain loss? for Danish, whereas Preisler concludes that, within the domain of university research, English and Danish are functionally distributed, and that this does not in itself affect the status of Danish within Danish society.

Review

This paper tackles the critical and increasingly relevant sociolinguistic issue of English's influence on national languages within the academic spheres of non-Anglophone countries, using the Danish context as its primary case study. Preisler skillfully frames the national debate between those who embrace English as a sign of internationalization and a more critical minority. The central innovation lies in the author's strategic deconstruction of the often-monolithic concept of "the domain of science," aiming to provide a more nuanced understanding of language dynamics than is typically found in discussions of language shift or loss. A significant strength of Preisler's work is its theoretical underpinning, drawing on postmodernist thought to redefine "Domain" as "practice" in an ethnographic sense. This critical re-conceptualization allows for a granular analysis that distinguishes between distinct language-use environments within higher education. Crucially, the paper posits that "the domain of science" is not a unified entity but rather comprises separate "practices" of university research and university teaching. This distinction leads to the insightful conclusion that, while there might be a "potential domain loss" for Danish in teaching, English and Danish are functionally distributed within university research, thereby challenging simplistic narratives of English dominance and demonstrating a more complex linguistic co-existence. While the abstract effectively outlines the paper's core arguments and findings, a full review would ideally seek more detail on the ethnographic methodology underpinning the redefinition of "domain" as "practice" and the specific data informing the conclusions regarding functional distribution. Further elaboration on the implications of the "potential domain loss" in university teaching for Danish society and pedagogy would also enrich the discussion. Nevertheless, this paper offers a sophisticated and vital contribution to sociolinguistics, providing a robust framework for deconstructing language domains and fostering a more precise understanding of the intricate relationship between global and local languages in academic settings. It encourages a shift away from alarmist generalizations towards context-specific and functionally-oriented analyses.

Full Text

Comments

You need to be logged in to post a comment.