Recent social and political changes have focused attention on the debate about the relationship between language and culture. This book offers an accessible survey of key concepts such as social context and cultural authenticity, using insights from fields which include linguistics, sociology and anthropology.
This intro. to culture is an excellent distillation of language and culture, suited especially for anyone who has read her previous book published by Oxford Univ. Press CONTEXT AND CULTURE. Context and Culture (C&C)has many illuminating examples from literature, speech and and media. Kramsch writes densely--every word counts--and readers will find that there is always something new to learn on every reading. It's no surprise that Widdowson, remarkable for his incredibly tight prose, was her editor. Kramsch is a razor-sharp thinker and an accomplished writer. An intellectual of the best sort.
So, to best appreciate this short intro. to culture, read C&C first.
To the frustrated engineering-student-teacher assistant, irritated that such simple ideas as "culture", "communication" and "understanding" are made less simple by Kramsch: Perhaps these concepts are not so simple after all.
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