1st Edition
A Sociolinguistic View of A Japanese Ethnic Church Community
Drawing on sociolinguistic approaches, this book presents unique insights into a Japanese ethnic church community in Canada and the ways in which churches mediate issues of linguistic, cultural, and religious hybridity in addressing the needs of their diverse populations.
The book integrates discourse analytic methods with ethnographic perspectives to explore the complex dynamics of negotiating their different members’ preferred language practices. The volume outlines the ways in which ethnic churches in this community build themselves around intentionally preferred Japanese language practices but make accommodations for English-language speakers in their own families, in turn making further accommodations for ESL student speakers new to the country. Barrett explores the impact of church members’ transcultural experiences in broader decisions around language planning and policy in these churches, shedding light on the distinct implications of hybrid identities on discourses in localized communities. // The volume will be of interest to scholars in sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, and religious studies.
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. A Sociolinguistic Theory of Ethnic Churches
Chapter 3. The Study: A Community of Japanese Ethnic Churches
Chapter 4. Are You Japanese Christian or Christian Japanese, or?
Chapter 5. Transcultural Realities of a Japanese Community in Canada
Chapter 6. Perceptions of Language Planning and Policy in Japanese Ethnic Churches
Chapter 7. Unintentional English Accommodations for ELLs
Chapter 8. Conclusion
Biography
Tyler Barrett is Adjunct Professor in the Division of Online and Professional Studies at California Baptist University and Adjunct Instructor in the Division of Continuing Education Online at University of California, Irvine, USA.
"In this book, Tyler Barrett foregrounds the complexities surrounding a Japanese ethnic church community in the context of Canada. The rationale for conducting this research was to get a deeper understanding with respect to the views of its members, whose decisions often result in the formation of organizations known as Japanese ethnic churches."
-Alexandra Shaitan, Language in Society
